Hide and Seek
by Quatrina Raberba
Summary: Luffy and his crew are put to the test when he and Zoro are stranded on an island that's far more than it seems to be. With little provisions, will captain and first mate hunt?...Or be hunted?
1. Colorful Stories and Promising Adventure

**Disclaimer: **One Piece doesn't belong to me, but to the amazing Oda-sensei instead. 

**Summary: **Luffy and his entire crew are put to the test when he and Zoro are stranded on an island that's far more than it seems to be. 

**Warnings: **None that I can think of.

**Hide and Seek**

_By Quatrina Raberba_

"And _then _what happened?" The question was a simple one, although it was riddled with anticipation and eagerness. A dramatic pause followed it in turn, which prompted Tony Tony Chopper to ask his question again. "Well, what _happened?_"

Usopp swelled himself up with pride, as he tilted his prominent nose into the air. "Well, after I reached the island, I realized that there were _a lot_ of animals. And so, since I, the great Captain Usopp, had so tragically lost my lunch during that frightful hurricane -- which, might I add, was _nothing _compared to the giant beetle I'd encountered the week before -- I thought it would be nice to hunt for some wild game!"

Chopper squealed with fright suddenly, as he grabbed onto his own horns and nearly fell back from his chair. 

"Er--well, that is to say I--well, I thought maybe it would be it would be fun to play with them?" Usopp added hopefully in an attempt to reconcile, apparently getting the hint that a deer wouldn't like to hear about hunting other animals. "I was _bored _because I lost my lunch, you see, so I thought it would be wonderful to play a nice game of tag with them!"

This seemed to calm their doctor down a bit, as he shifted slightly at the kitchen table. "Oh… really?" he asked with renewed curiosity, although a tinge of apprehension was still noticeable in his tone.

"Of course!" Usopp nodded. "It didn't take me long to find someone who would play with me, though, since there were so many. And so I, the great Captain Usopp, being the amazing animal lover that I am, played with the animals through the entire day. It was the most fun I'd had since the time I went skiing upon the backs of some penguins -- which, might I add, they were quite happy to let me do."

There was a brief pause.

"And _then _what happened?" This time, bits of food, chewed up beyond recognition, flew out onto the table as the query was spewed forth. 

"Luffy, you spit all over my shirt!"

"I did? Oh, sorry, Nami."

Before his navigator could reply, there was a loud racket as Monkey D. Luffy found himself sprawled out onto the floor, his chair suddenly on its side. "Oi, Sanji, why'd you kick my chair over?" 

The blond chef crossed his arms as he surveyed his captain coolly, one foot propped firmly onto the chair's side. "Food is for eating -- _not_ for spitting on fine ladies." Suddenly becoming excited, he looked over at the orange haired woman. "Can I wash your shirt for you, Nami-san?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Why, _thank you, _Sanji-kun. That's very kind of you." Sanji seemed to inch a bit closer to her, practically trembling with joy.

"…can I wash it right _now?_" He wiggled his fingers at her.

Nami's sugary smile remained as she dabbed at the chewed up food on her shirt on her own. "Don't push your luck."

"YES, Nami-san!" And with that, he whirled around and busied himself with washing a plate.

"Anyway, Luffy," she said as she placed the wadded up napkin beside her plate, "don't you know not to talk with your mouth full?"

The dark haired boy blinked. "What's wrong with talking with your mouth full?" 

"It's bad manners -- not to mention you wind up spraying everyone with chewed up food," Nami answered, rather patient, as if speaking to a small child.

"Oh…_manners._" Luffy shoved another wad of rice into his mouth, now sitting upright as he looked at Nami from across the table. "I've heard of those." He swallowed his food within a single gulp.

"Well, you certainly had _me_ fooled…"

Usopp suddenly cleared his throat. Loudly. "I was telling a story?"

The rubber man's eyes suddenly darted over to his handyman. "Oh, _yeah! _What happened after you played with the animals?"

Usopp beamed suddenly, glad to have some attention back onto himself for once. "Well, we were all really tired -- tag was draining, but hide and go seek was just plain _exhausting._ There're were so many places to climb, amazing areas to explore and a million ways to hide."

"I love that game," interjected Luffy.

"Anyway, little did I know that I would soon be faced with an incredible danger!" His voice suddenly switched to an ominous tone as he hunched forward, towards his audience. "There was a hu_mongous _monster living on that island. And when he saw that I was playing with his friends, he became jealous!" He held up a finger. "Of course, I had no idea that he was jealous, or else I would have asked him to join us."

"Well, why didn't you?" inquired Chopper.

"I _did, _after I defeated him in a battle," Usopp swiftly answered. Luffy beat the table with excitement as Chopper's hooves flew over his mouth again.

"You _fought?_" Luffy practically crowed with delight. "It must've been _awesome!_"

"It was." Usopp nodded sagely. "But I knew that he was a good monster, so I let him live and asked if he wanted to play with us. And he told _me _that that was the whole reason why he was mad to begin with!"

"Wow," breathed Chopper. "I'm so glad you reached an understanding."

"So was I," the curly haired man stated firmly. "He was a real champion at tag -- he added so much to the fun." He placed a hand under his chin and added as an after thought, "I can't say that he was too good at hide-and-seek, though."

"I like playing it with Zoro," Luffy added. A certain green haired swordsman snorted from the corner of the room.

"Anyway, my ship came to pick me up the next day," said Usopp. "I told all of the animals good-bye and that I would see them again someday. The monster was especially sad to see me go, but I told him that we'd always be friends, even if I went my way and he his. I think that made him feel better."

"You know," mused Chopper as Luffy clapped at the other fellow's last statement, "that reminds me an awful lot of a story _I _once heard."

"Really?" Usopp blinked curiously.

"Mm-hm." Chopper nodded. "But it was about a monster who lived all alone and had _no _friends at all."

There was a tiny pause.

"Well, _my _version's better!" proclaimed Usopp, his arms folding over his chest with pride. "And did I mention that it was all 100 percent truth?"

"Really?!" Boomed Luffy, his hands hitting against the tabletop again.

"You're kidding!" Chopper's voice accompanied Luffy's incessant banging.

"It's all true!" Usopp laughed and grinned, rubbing the back of his head merrily. 

Just then, Nami suddenly got up from the table, glancing at Roronoa Zoro, who was resting against the corner of the room. "I don't see how Zoro can rest so easily with all this noise," she declared before exiting, rubbing at her aching temples.

"Wait, Nami-san!" Sink cleared and cleaned, Sanji suddenly followed after the navigator. "Do you need a neck rub? I could get some lotion for you if you'd like…" His voice faded as he reached the deck.

"I could tell you about the giant skunk of doom next," offered Usopp, his chin now propped into his palm. "That's who I encountered after leaving the island."

Chopper yawned, stretching his little arms into the air. "I really wanna hear it, but I'm so _tired_--" Luffy suddenly yanked the deer's rice from under his nose. "Hey! I didn't say you could have that!"

The scarred faced boy looked up suddenly, grains of rice stuck to his mouth. "But I thought you said you were tired."

"That didn't mean I was finished!" Perfectly aware at how quickly Luffy could devour anything, he swiftly snatched his bowl back, and resolutely finished his food. "_Now _I'm going to bed," he announced as he set the bowl back down. "Good night, everyone!" And with that, their medic hopped onto the floor and walked out of the kitchen.

The others called out their good night's, including Zoro, who regarded the reindeer with a single, half open eye.

As soon as his footsteps faded away, Usopp turned his attention to Luffy, who was then scraping off the food everyone had left on the table into his own mouth. "I could tell _you _about the giant skunk of doom. Wanna hear?" The flip flop clad boy nodded vigorously, much to Usopp's delight. "All right, this is a goodone, so listen carefully…" Zoro merely rolled over onto his side, his back facing the pair, apparently not at all interested.

The spectacular tale went on as normal, just as farfetched as any of the others he was notorious for telling. Luffy applauded, laughed and cheered at all the right places, which made him a fantastic audience for Usopp. But as all things come to an end, so, too, did his story, and it wasn't long until Usopp bid his crewmates goodnight, ambling his way out of the kitchen and into their sleeping quarters. 

For a moment, with nothing to do, Captain Luffy clapped his feet together, staring off into the silent kitchen as he sat in his chair. But as the moments drifted by, his eyes found their way to the refrigerator and a frighteningly large grin crept across his face.

"I wouldn't even think about it, if I were you," spoke Zoro knowingly, his eyes not even opening. 

"Eh? Why not?" Luffy looked over at his first mate suddenly, blinking curiously. Zoro still retained his look of nonchalance as his eyes remained closed, his arms resting beneath his head.

"Because you _know _that stupid cook set a trap for you," he answered after a moment, opening one eye half way. 

"Oh, yeah…" Luffy's dark eyes darted longingly over to the Box of Many Foods, his mouth salivating. "But I'm still hungry."

"You'll live until breakfast." His eye settled to a close again. Luffy simply looked at the swordsman for a moment, his feet tapping upon the floor without purpose 

It was peaceful, then, with the soft rocking of the ship and the slight dangling of various kitchen utensils, sounding from where they hung. Their quiet, almost musical clanking was accompanied by Zoro's easy breathing. The mellow lighting of the room added to the scene, making it all the more comfortable. 

The kitchen was a happy place, in Luffy's opinion, where everyone ate and conversed together contentedly. Even when it was quiet and almost empty, he still enjoyed sitting at the table and savoring the lingering scents of roasted meats, boiled vegetables and sweet fruits. 

_SNAP!_

"Aughhhh! Zoro, help meee!"

Even if the ever present refrigerator proved to be a bit of a temptation.

***

Dawn rose bright and early the next morning, as it always did, peeking over the vast ocean and painting the sky with a mixture of light pinks and dazzling oranges. While Luffy and Chopper were both quite chipper as they walked out into the crisp, morning air, Usopp went out of his way to avoid Zoro, who wasn't a morning person by anyone's terms. Sanji was all ready busy in the kitchen, scurrying to make the most delicious breakfast that, he felt, Nami would _surely _die for.

Indeed, the breakfast was a hardy one, with fine, amazing touches of delicacy to it. Even Luffy felt full (for the moment), as he finished his fifth helping, rubbing his tummy with satisfaction. But before he or any of the others could wander out of the kitchen, Nami suddenly placed their region map onto the table.

"We should be approaching this island within the next few days," she announced as she pointed to a particularly odd shaped land mass.

"It looks like a dog's head," Luffy commented as he peered forward at the map.

"No, I'd say it looks like a boot," argued Usopp, leaning in past the rubber man.

"It doesn't matter _what _it looks like!" Nami suddenly slammed her hand down onto the map, glaring up at them sharply for a moment, making Usopp jump. 

"Nami-san is so attractive when she's irritated," sighed Sanji as he listened from beside the sink.

"At any rate, we need to decide if we want to--"

"Let's check it out!" Luffy exclaimed abruptly, cutting of the orange haired girl. "It's what pirates do, after all."

"All right then," said Nami, folding up the map once more. "Everyone's in favor, right?"

Zoro shrugged, having occupied his usual place on the floor once more. "Captain's orders." No one else spoke, apparently having the same train of thought. Usopp's knees shook a little when he stood up from the table to leave, though, and Chopper fidgeted a bit as he followed Usopp's example. Since this wasn't out of the ordinary to begin with, it was in agreement that they would, indeed, explore the island. But then again, most of the choices made on the _Going Merry _were made swiftly, easily and without any agonizing. This, in Luffy's opinion, was the only way to make decisions.

As soon as Nami had left to go out on deck, Sanji's voice, holding a cool glint to it, suddenly reached Luffy's ears.

"My trap went off last night."

Zoro and Luffy suddenly exchanged looks, the younger looking the part of someone caught red handed. 

"How can you tell?" asked Zoro. "It doesn't look like it went off to me."

"I heardit go off," the blond chef replied, folding his arms, as he glared at Zoro. "But when I came to check it out, the trap had been _reset_ and there was _no one _in there." 

The swordsman snorted, his eyebrows furrowed, and said, "You just imagine things." 

Sanji narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I know everything that goes on in my kitchen." 

"_Your _kitchen?"

"Right. So, if you don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with a sick stomach, I'd shut up." Sanji glared menacingly at the green haired man.

"Are you kidding?! Your food makes me sick anyway." At this remark, Sanji suddenly took a threatening step forward, grinding his teeth furiously.

"Well, your disgusting odor at the table makes _me _sick. I can smell you before you even walk into the kitchen!"

"I have more important things to worry about besides how I smell, _Princess_[1]_,_" retorted Zoro, raising from his seat.

Deciding that he'd seen Zoro and Sanji fight more than enough times, Luffy felt boredom creep into his skull. Before he knew it, he had risen from his own seat and exited the kitchen. Not that he wasn't grateful that Zoro had distracted the "Love Cook", but he found that he'd much rather look at the funny shaped clouds than watch them duke it out. The two men, engaged in their furious quarrel, didn't even notice him leave.

Almost right away, he took his favorite seat on the ship -- atop the giant sheep head that rested at the front of the ship. He leaned back upon his hands as he stared up at the endless sky, his mouth hanging slightly open in wonder.

An island…

_I wonder if they'll be treasure there._

A funny shaped island, no less.

_I hope there'll be funny shaped creatures._

He grinned and gave a gleeful chuckle, his eyes closing momentarily as his body absorbed the warmth of the gradually rising sun.

Life was pretty good. Even with the odd events that would soon come to pass, life still proved to be nice. It was certainly a lot preferable to death -- especially since you couldn't look at the clouds if you were dead. 

At least, that's what Monkey D. Luffy believed.

__

- End Chapter I -

[1] - Zoro more or less insults Sanji with this name during the third movie, by the way, incase you thought that was kind of odd thing for Zoro to say.

Remember, feedback and constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thanks!


	2. The Storm and the Folly

The morning had proceeded a bit quieter than normal, as Luffy had spent the greater portion of it atop the ship's bow, staring off into the vast ocean. Zoro and Sanji, he had decided, weren't ever going to finish their argument, although he sincerely hoped that they'd be wrapping it up by lunch time. 

At the thought of lunch, his stomach suddenly rumbled and he hopped onto the deck, soon making his way up to the kitchen. Upon entering, he noticed Sanji skillfully slicing some carrots at the counter. Judging by his narrowed eyes, however, the rubber pirate figured that his chef was having a difficult time cutting them.

He was just about to open his mouth, when Sanji curtly said, "Don't ask about lunch. It'll be ready when it's ready."

Suddenly, it occurred to Luffy that Sanji's eyes weren't narrowed out of concentration, but out of _irritation._ Which, he decided as the cogs in his brain tried to work, was probably because Zoro called him a princess. Or something.

Realizing that there was no food to be had with the kitchen under Sanji's constant guard, the captain of the _Going Merry _was about to make his way back onto the deck, when Nami suddenly entered.

"Oh, Sanji-kun," she called sweetly, "do you think you could fix me a drink? It's awfully _hot _out there, you know." 

All malice disappearing from his face, the chef abruptly turned around, knife and carrots left forgotten on the counter. "Yes, Nami-san! Right away!" And with that, he quickly went about making "the finest drink for Nami-san's beautiful lips to sip upon". Before Luffy could barely blink, it seemed, there was a petite glass sitting before Nami at the table, filled to the rim with an icy blue drink, equipped with a dainty little straw, and garnished with a tiny, yellow flower.

"Thank you, Sanji-kun!" She clapped her hands together with delight at the quick service, and sipped at the beverage, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "It's simply _delicious._"

Sanji looked absolutely thrilled.

"I want a drink," Luffy stated suddenly, looking over at the blond man. His statement fell upon deaf ears, however.

"I came in here for something else, too," said Nami before taking another sip from her drink.

"Really, Nami-san?" inquired the chef hopefully, a large smile on his face. "And what would that something else be?"

"My shirt," answered the orange haired girl, looking straight at Sanji. "I'm sure you remember the shirt Luffy spit on last night. I was going to give it to you to wash for me, since you were so _kind_ to agree to do that, but you wouldn't believe how _surprised _I was this morning when I discovered that it was _missing._" She rested her chin into her own palm as she presented an even more sugary smile. "Sanji-kun, do you know what happened to it?"

"I thought I would spare you the trouble, Nami-san, seeing that you're so busy with plotting our course every day," answered Sanji. He looked up at the ceiling wistfully and sighed, "Nami-san is so_ talented._"

"You mean you looked for it?" She tilted her head slightly. "You went out of your way to go into _my quarters _-- just for me?" By now, her voice sounded a tad sweeter than before, although Luffy thought he saw a glimmer of something in her eyes that was far more sinister than the tone her voice carried.

"Of course, Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed eagerly. "I would do _anything _for you!"

Nami's eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

Outside, Zoro couldn't help but crack an eye open from where he was napping upon the deck, as a gigantic crash sounded from the kitchen. It was soon followed by Nami stepping out of the kitchen, a satisfied smile on her face. "Don't go into my quarters ever again. And next time you wash my clothes, I want to supervise." She stirred the straw in her drink. "Oh, and thanks for the wonderful drink, Sanji-kun. It's my favorite so far." And with that, she passed Zoro, drink still in hand and her head held high.

"It's Nami-san's favorite," Sanji sighed. "I'm so glad."

"Oi." Luffy suddenly poked his chef in the shoulder. "I don't think you'll be able to cook lunch if you keep that pot stuck on your head like that."

"…shut up."

Suddenly, a massive explosion sounded from the other side of the ship, momentarily shaking everyone off balance. There was a stunned silence, before a distant squeal greeted their ears. It grew louder for a few seconds before Chopper came running frantically up the deck.

"Wahhhgh! Usopp blew something up again!"

Well, at least it wasn't so quiet anymore. Things were definitely normal aboard the _Going Merry _for now; that much was for certain.

In fact, everything proceeded as usual, even after Usopp assured everyone that there was no extensive damage done to the ship. Aided by the same, long nosed sniper, Sanji was able to get the pot off his head and finished preparing lunch. 

***

Luffy seemed to practically bounce in his seat as he ate his own meal, occasionally having something to add to the conversation while stuffing food into his mouth. After his plate was cleared, he went on to pillage from Zoro's, sneaking pieces of meat into his own mouth. When the green haired swordsman finally looked down at his own plate, most of his food was all ready missing. Naturally, his eyes immediately went to Luffy. Nami looked like she was caught between being amused and irritated at the two, while Usopp and Chopper conversed animatedly about their coming adventure, unaware of what the others were doing. Sanji merely finished his own plate as he stared at their navigator.

Riddled with excitement at the coming island (or perhaps he had noticed Zoro's knowing glare), Luffy suddenly announced that he was going to the crow's nest. 

"Don't bother thinking you'll be able to spot the island as soon as you get up there," warned Nami as her captain padded out of the kitchen. He said nothing in response, however, which made her wonder if he'd even heard. 

In actuality, Luffy had heard Nami say _something, _although he wasn't entirely sure what it had been, nor did he care to ask her to repeat herself.

It was only a matter of minutes before he found himself overlooking everything, both ship and sea, within the crow's nest. He felt as though he could see everything for miles around; it was absolutely amazing! The ocean seemed to glitter beneath the glowing light of the sun. It made him happy to feel the wind blowing furiously through his bangs, although he had to place a hand over his favorite straw hat to keep it in its place.

Suddenly, however, something in the distance caught his eye. He peered forward, curious, trying to make out what it was. The wind seemed to match his exhilaration, as it seemed to rush past him faster than before. His mouth split into a large smile, and his hands tightly gripped the side of the crow's nest. He felt someone behind him, but he didn't need to turn around to see who it was.

"Look, Zoro! See that?" He pointed forward with enthusiasm. "I'll bet it's an--" But the words never left his mouth as he abruptly looked up when fierce winds suddenly brought dark, heavy clouds over them. His mouth hung slightly open, his eyes unblinking. "Ah?"

"Nami never said anything about expecting a storm," muttered the swordsman from behind Luffy. There was a beat of silence, before he turned and began to descend from the perch and to the deck. "Well, better go tell everyone. They're still inside eating." Luffy only mutely nodded as he stared upward, the sky now a dark color, the clouds beginning to swirl. Zoro stopped momentarily, his hair furiously ruffled from the speeding winds, and looked up at the boy from where he climbed. "Hey." 

"Yeah, okay." Luffy turned from where he stood and proceeded to descend the same way as Zoro, one hand clutched tightly at his hat to prevent it from blowing away.

By the time they reached the kitchen, however, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were all ready standing out on deck, beholding the drastic change of weather.

"It got so dark so fast," said Chopper softly, his eyes glued to the sky.

"Well, this isn't exactly the first time we've seen something like this," Usopp stated as he, too, looked towards the heavens. There was a brief pause before he looked down at Chopper and added cheerfully, "I mean, we _have _seen stranger things, right?"  


Chopper managed a nervous smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

Nami remained silent as she surveyed the clouds, her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"I saw something when I was in the crow's nest," blurted Luffy suddenly.

"Is that so?" Nami answered vaguely, her mind apparently elsewhere.

"Yeah -- I think it was an island!" The dark haired boy grinned suddenly, leaning toward everyone enthusiastically. "Isn't that cool?"

Nami was quiet for a moment before blinking, and sharply looking over at Luffy. "Don't be ridiculous! There's no way we'd be reaching an island so early."

"But I _saw--_" The ship gave a sudden lurch as thunder crackled in the sky. Chopper squeaked, stumbling closer to Zoro all the while. Sanji easily made his way onto the deck with them, hand in pocket, not the least bit unnerved by the forming torrent.

"You know," he said casually to no one in particular, "I'd say we should probably be making preparations for bad weather, unless we want a table for six at the bottom of the sea."

"Right you are, Sanji-kun!" Nami said firmly, to which the blond chef seemed to lose most of his composure, a huge smile breaking into his face, his eyes sparkling.

"Ahhh, Nami-saaan…"

Rain suddenly began to beat harshly upon the deck, creating a massive racket, the ship giving another violent lurch at the same time.

"Don't just stand there!" exclaimed Nami, an authoritative tone in her voice. "Someone lower the back sails! We might be blown off course -- or worse, tip over!" Everyone scattered in a heart beat. "We have to keep facing the wind!" And then, as a sudden after thought, "And don't let anything happen to the orange trees!"

"YES, Nami-san!" 

It was sheer pandemonium. 

While the lightning tore through the cloud laden sky, the thunder seemed to rip through everyone's ears, and the ocean roared with an unexplained madness no one could understand. The waves crashed into the sides of the ship, sending it rocking heavily from side to side. It wasn't long before waves began to occasionally overtake the deck, their giant masses rolling over the deck in hopes of claiming some unlucky crewmember. 

Despite the odd circumstances, everyone tended to their jobs properly; Usopp and Zoro had lowered the back sails, while Sanji and Nami tended to covering the orange trees as quickly as possible. Luffy handled the helm in an attempt to keep the ship straight, at Nami's severe insistence, since most of the crew were all ready occupied. Chopper, on the other hand, hovered close to Luffy, anxious to help if needed, although extremely frightened, jumping at every lurch and roar.

"This is fun!" Luffy exclaimed, pressing the steering stick forward. "It's kinda like a game!" 

"A _game?!_" cried Chopper, barely able to stand on his two feet. "Games aren't supposed to be scary like this!" 

Luffy laughed, his hands gripped tightly onto the stick, which caused Chopper to fret even more.

"Ohhh, just _watching_ you makes it worse!"

"Then go outside," Luffy suggested cheerfully. 

"Mff…" Slowly, with uncertainty, Chopper inched his way out of the kitchen, stumbling here and there as the ship lurched worse than before. He opened the door, which suddenly flew open in response to the ruthless wind. Jumping with fright, the reindeer stepped outside, reaching back towards the door to pull it shut. Gritting his teeth, he heaved and he tugged with all of his might, but to no avail. 

Just as he was about to give up, another pair of hands grasped onto the handle and pulled with him, suddenly flinging it to a close.

"Zoro!" Chopper looked behind himself, only to see none other than the green haired man himself. "Thanks." He simply nodded in response, his hair weighted down by the copious amounts of water that splashed mercilessly onto them all, his clothes soaking wet. Turning, he swiftly made his way across the deck, apparently looking for something else to attend to, not at all unnerved by the violent weather. Chopper followed after him, out of breath. "I should've brought ponchos out for everyone!"

"No, it's fine. Getting wet's not gonna kill us."

"But--!" The ship tilted to the side sharply, and a wave cascaded viciously over the deck and into them both. Instinctively, Zoro snatched the reindeer against himself with one arm, the other hand gripping onto the railing. Chopper barely had any time to brace himself, and gratitude shined in his eyes when he was finally able looked up at his friend, for both of them knew that the reindeer couldn't swim. "Th-thanks!"

Zoro nodded, and gruffly said, "You're all right?"

"Y-yeah, thanks."

Suddenly, a new voice rang out from behind them. "Oi! Do we have another stick thing?"

Still tightly gripping onto both the rail and Chopper, Zoro sharply looked over at Luffy, who was just as wet as they were. "What do you _mean_ 'another stick thing'? What happened to the other one?!"

Luffy grinned sheepishly, one hand pressed on top of his hat. "It broke!"

Both deer and man gaped at their captain.

Zoro's voice, rivaling even the thunder, tore from his throat. "It **_broke?!_**"

"Yes. It broke." Luffy nodded his affirmative.

Suddenly, another wave charged its way over the deck, throwing itself on top of everyone completely with all of its might. Chopper squealed with fright, pressing himself against Zoro's chest for protection, as the swordsman's muscles tightened in an attempt to keep himself from losing his balance, as well as to keep Chopper in his strong grasp.

It only took a few seconds for the wave to haul past them, but to Chopper, it seemed to take an eternity. When he finally was able to open his eyes, however, he could just begin to feel heavy amounts of water dripping from his fur.

He looked around momentarily, his breath all but gone, and he realized something with a horrible jolt to his stomach.

"Luffy's gone." Zoro's statement was immediate, voicing Chopper's exact thoughts.

"You mean he's--?!" Chopper found himself abruptly, yet gently, set back onto the swaying deck as Zoro's shoes landed beside him. At seeing the shoes, the doctor's eyes widened. "You're not going to--"

"Stick with one of the others -- they'll make sure you're safe."

"But, _Zoro!_" His cry was ignored as the swordsman placed one bare foot onto the rail before completely diving into the raging waters. Terrified for him, Chopper ran over to the edge of the deck, suddenly not caring how dangerous it was. He could vaguely see where Zoro had entered the tossing ocean, but he had no idea where he was! After several anxious moments, however, he thought he saw him emerge, a distinct, scrawny figure in his hold. Heaving a heavy sigh of relief, the deer suddenly yelled out, "I'll get something for you!"

Glad he could be of some service, Chopper abruptly dashed across the deck, careful not to slip, and made his way into the storage room. 

I can save them! 

His eyes swiftly scanned over its contents; several crates, a spare anchor, some dried food, more crates, and--yes! There they were; rope and a lifesaver. 

They'll be okay… 

He quickly snatched both items and began to race back towards where he had been, before a pair of shaking legs suddenly got in his way. Bumping into them unexpectedly, he stumbled back and blinked, looking up to behold a completely drenched Usopp, who was peering over him.

"Wh-what's going on?!" inquired the long nosed man anxiously, his teeth chattering with a mixture of fear and cold.

__

"Luffy and Zoro are overboard! There's no time!" And with that, Chopper made his way around him, and ran over to the rail. 

"What?! _Overboard?!_" Usopp hurried after the deer, his own dark curls clinging to the back of his neck, laden with rain. "Wait! I'll help you!"

Chopper, rope and lifesaver in hand, peered over into the aggressive water. "Zoro! Catch this--" But the words died in his throat when he saw no one there to catch anything. Frantically, his eyes searched for them -- for _any _sign of them -- but to no success. His mind began to race.

_Where are they?! _

Suddenly, he took off in a run along the railing, keeping his eyes glued to the ocean. _Surely _they were there! Zoro had just drifted down further along with Luffy, that's all! The doctor gritted his teeth.

_I'm just not looking hard enough!_

"Say, I don't see them _anywhere!_" Usopp, who was speedily following, sounded as anxious as Chopper felt. "That can't be right…where _are _they?" He peered beside the deer, squinting against the rain. "They're…well, they're…" Usopp's words trailed off, but Chopper's broken voice finished the sentence for him.

"Th-they're…_gone._" 

__

- End Chapter 2 -

__

Feedback is appreciated immensely. Thank you for taking the time to leave comments! 


	3. Worries and Exploration

Despite their lack of captain and swordsman -- and not to mention their lack of helm -- the ship and its inhabitants managed to pull through the violent tempest safe and sound. They had been lucky, Nami had said, that the storm had disappeared as quickly as it did. However, she did let on to feeling a little unease that such a dangerous thing had come and gone so quickly, leaving very little warning for when such an event could occur again.

Usopp simply stuck to what had become his motto: "Well, we _have _seen stranger things…right?"

But the storm, in its abrupt leave of absence, was out of sight and out of mind for the time being. After they had spent a bit of the evening trying to make repairs to their damaged sails, their minds turned to something of a little more concern -- Luffy and Zoro.

Nami stirred her pasta with her fork as they all ate a late supper, her eyebrows furrowed and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. "Well, serves Luffy right for getting himself overboard like that after breaking the helm." The others ate in silence, fully aware that she didn't mean it. Chopper sniffed as he sipped his juice, however, before speaking.

"I'm so worried…"

Nami, Usopp and Sanji gave each other momentary glances. 

"Hey, now, don't be _worried!_" exclaimed Usopp suddenly, making the reindeer jump. "I mean, this is Zoro and Luffy we're talking about, remember?"

"That's right," Nami stated fervently, giving Chopper a reassuring smile. "Luffy's got Zoro looking after him, and we all know that Zoro is…ah…"

"Too stubborn to do anything else," Sanji finished helpfully, although his face held a look of mild contempt. 

Nami smiled, giving the chef an amused glance before focusing her attention back onto Chopper. "That's exactly it."

"They're both strong," reassured Usopp. "Real strong. They can endure a lot. I'll bet you anything Zoro could swim to the nearest island with Luffy, and still have strength to run a marathon!" The slightest smile appeared on their doctor's face, prompting Usopp to continue. "It's true. Once, he ran all the way around the world!"

Chopper's mouth gaped open. "Really?!"

Usopp nodded sagely. "Really." There was a brief pause. "And we all know what a crazy guy _Luffy_ is, so when you put the two of them together, you know everything will turn out okay…somehow."

"Even if it's sheer luck," muttered Sanji under his breath. Nami scowled, and elbowed him in the side. The chef smiled at her immediately. "Sorry, Nami-san."

Chopper gazed thoughtfully at the swordsman's shoes that now rested on the kitchen floor, still a little damp from the storm from that very afternoon. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He smiled at them all. "I shouldn't be worried." After finishing up his own pasta, he hopped onto the floor from his seat. "Well, I'm really tired. Good night, everyone." And with that, he picked up the shoes and began to head for the men's quarters.

"Tony-kun, why are you taking Zoro's shoes?" Nami inquired, genuinely curious.

Chopper stopped and looked back at the orange haired woman, an immense smile on his face. "I'm putting them by where he sleeps. He'll be looking for them when he gets back!" 

Nami smiled. "That's kind of you, Tony-kun."

"Gh-" He visibly twitched. "D-don't tell me that -- it doesn't make me happy at all!" He hastily made his way out of the room, but he gave an obvious, joyful skip before disappearing entirely from the kitchen.

"He certainly _looks _happy," commented Sanji. Usopp laughed merrily, placing another bite of food into his own mouth. Nami, on the other hand, remained silent, as she went about stirring the pasta on her plate again. Although she retained a soft smile, she couldn't help but wonder if they had actually been trying to put their own minds at ease.

***

He rested there, beginning to break out of the dark abyss that held him. Faintly, he could hear the soft roaring of the ocean waves. Vaguely, he could feel water lapping against his feet, a chilled, grainy bed beneath him. He was cold and tired, but he could barely feel something warm beside him. There was something else clenched between his teeth -- something that tasted of salt water and straw. It was peaceful, however, and he was tempted to remain how he was for the time being. 

But, suddenly, his eyes shot open, though the rest of his body didn't move a single inch. The first thing they focused on was the straw hat protruding from his own mouth. Of course. He had bit onto it so it wouldn't get lost in the vast sea. A tinge of pride entered his head at the fact that he'd kept a hold of it this entire time, even if his jaw _was _a little sore because of it. 

The second thing he became fully aware of was the figure held against him with his left arm. He knew right away what it was, and was pleased to hear Monkey D. Luffy's slow, easy breathing. Roronoa Zoro felt the hat fall from his own mouth, allowing it to land beside the boy's head, before gently releasing his hold on him and sitting up.

After casting a long look around, he deduced that they were on the shore of a beach. The sand had an orange tint to it, due to dawn's early light. The sky itself was a mixture of pink, blue and a hint of gray, and it reflected itself into the ocean before him. 

_Dawn,_ he thought to himself. _I must've been here at least all night. _

But where were the others? His eyes scanned the open sea, only to find no sign or sight of any kind of ship. He frowned, slightly troubled for a moment, but merely decided that there was nothing to be done about it now. They would just have to make due until they were found. 

He wondered if there were any people on the island, and then he doubted if it really mattered. People were no good if they were more concerned about their own well being.

"AHHHH!" Zoro whirled around suddenly, one of his hands instinctively moving to his swords. It promptly fell back to his side, however, at the words, "MY _HAT! _WHERE _IS IT?!_"

Zoro gave a slightly irritated sigh. "It's _right beside you!_"

"MY HA--oh." The now sitting up, fully awake rubber pirate beside him abruptly picked up the hat and placed it upon his head. He grinned at the green haired swordsman. "Thanks!" 

"Don't mention it," he answered simply, looking back out at the surprisingly calm ocean water.

"Hooo," he heard Luffy say. "I'm glad we're not in that water anymore! I thought we were gonna die!" 

Zoro lightly grinned. "You're just lucky I jumped in to save you."

"Chopper would've tried to save me."

"And then someone would've had to save you _both._"

"Oh, yeah…" Luffy smiled suddenly, falling onto his back and staring up at the sky. "Heehee! At least we're on the island now!"

"Yeah, but we don't have any way to get _off_," Zoro pointed out to him, inwardly satisfied that his captain was his usual, talkative self. Luffy shrugged, apparently unconcerned.

"That's all right. We'll get off eventually." The first mate didn't answer for a moment, leaving an easy silence. There was no reason to get worked up over anything at this point; they both knew that.

After a few minutes had drifted by, however, Luffy bolted up without warning. "Let's go explore!"

Zoro snorted, looking over at him. "Explore? Why?"

"To see if the creatures are funny shapes!" Luffy enthusiastically answered, as if it were obvious. "Plus, if there're _animals,_" he continued, his mouth seeming to water, "there should be _meat._"

Meat -- the swordsman had almost forgotten. They would certainly need to hunt for food at some point. That didn't bother him, however -- he'd been able to bring back more meat than Sanji knew what to do with before. This time was no different. They would just have to cook it themselves, that was all. Which, as far as Zoro was concerned, was perfectly fine by him. He never entirely trusted the Love Cook with his food anyway.

"C'_mon, _Zoro. Let's go!"

The green haired man simply fell onto his back, his arms casually folded over his chest as his eyes closed. "No, I think I'd rather sleep for now. We can look later."

"But I wanna go _now,_" Luffy urged.

"Then go without me," he patiently answered.

His captain frowned slightly, lips puckering out in a pout. "But I want you to go _with me_."

"Forget it. The answer's no."

Luffy's lips split into a massive smile. "Say yes then."

"No!"

"Yes." Luffy wiggled his toes playfully as he spoke.

Exasperated, Zoro turned onto his side. "No!"

"_Ye-e-es!_" 

"NO!"

"No!" countered Luffy, a mischief smile on his face.

"YES!--I mean NO!--I mean--" Zoro sputtered, a confused scowl coming across his features. But it was too late. Luffy grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him up to a sit.

"You _said _yes!" The boy looked absolutely thrilled, his mouth stretching into an even wider smile, his eyes practically glowing.

"Only because you tricked me!" growled Zoro, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Nuh-uh!" Luffy happily stuck his tongue out at the older fellow before laughing. "You said _yes,_ and yes means yes!"

"But I didn't _mean--_" but he stopped when he realized that this whole head splitting conversation wasn't even worth it. He knew Luffy wouldn't force him to go with him, but it would take a lot of harassing before he finally decided to go by himself. So, Zoro, being rather irked by the situation, stood up from the ground, lightly brushing the sand from his pants. "All _right, _fine. I'll go. But then you have to let me _sleep, _okay?"

Luffy nodded energetically, beaming. "Okay!"

And off they went, walking side by side as they deserted the empty shore. Luffy chose to go into a heavily wooded area that was behind them, which was laden with all sorts of trees, grasses and shrubbery. As large mountain rose up from within and could be easily seen in the distance. He indicated the choice of direction by pointing and shouting, "Let's go into there!" Zoro merely shrugged in response. 

They forged their own path, disregarding the gradually increasing darkness as they began to make their way deeper into the forest. Luffy's mouth gaped open at all of the colorful flowers he'd never seen before, as he commented on the towering trees around them, while Zoro silently ambled beside him, his eyes alert for any sign of danger. Eventually, the rubber pirate's chatter died down, and he was reduced to contentedly searching around for something new to talk about.

While the place wasn't entirely all that different from any other islands he'd been to, there was still something that seemed unsettling to Zoro. For the life of him, however, he couldn't put his finger on it. He stopped walking for a moment, and his gaze roamed around from tree to tree, from branch to branch. But there was nothing that looked amiss. 

"Oi. Zoro." The green haired man looked over as soon as his name was called, only to see Luffy standing a couple of yards away from him. "Aren't you coming?" 

He grunted in response, and proceeded onward. Luffy grinned and happily strolled along, not the least bit bothered by the weeds and stones that blocked his path.

Most of their "exploration" was actually rather uneventful, as far as explorations go. They _did_ find a spring not too far from shore, however, which answered Zoro's unasked question of where their water supply would come from. Luffy didn't seem to be too excited by the find, but he _was _pleased to hear that they wouldn't have to thirst to death. ("Oh, that's a _good_ thing!")

After a point, Zoro decided he wanted to go back. Luffy, on the other hand, insisted that they at least keep going until they reach the large mountain that was at the center of the island. His first mate agreed, and they pressed on. It wasn't long after when they reached a rather large clearing, consisting of nothing but grass and weeds, which appeared to surround the base of the mountain.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed, before running up to the steeply sloping base and looking heaven ward, as if attempting to survey it for climbing. He stopped suddenly, however, and sharply looked to his left, something having caught his eye. "Oh, _look_, a cave!" He swiftly made his way over to the massive hole in the side of the slope, smoothly jumping over small boulders that obscured his path. Zoro calmly followed after him, but he couldn't help but notice that the entrance looked too big and too new to have been formed by nature.

In fact, it looked as if something or someone had _put _it there.

"Oi, Luffy!" he called after him, in an attempt to get him to slow down. "Wait up!"

The dark haired fellow stopped and turned toward him. "You're so _slow, _Zoro."

"_I'm _just making sure there's nothing else that can help us. You almost completely _ignored_ that spring back there."

  
"Spring? What spr--oh, _yeah!_"

Zoro sighed, a light feeling of amusement creeping through him, and he couldn't help but smile just a little.

It wasn't long at all before the two of them entered the cave, side by side, Zoro's eyes narrowed and alert, Luffy's wide with wonder. The cave itself didn't appear to be all that deep, which seemed to disappoint Luffy. But what was of interest to Zoro was the extremely large pile of what seemed to be wood placed towards the end of the cave. He stepped right up to it, looking it over, before crouching down to search through it with his bare hands. 

Sure enough, it was mainly wood -- man made boards, actually, that were broken beyond repair. He also found a dented kettle, a broken compass, as well as other things that were molded or damaged beyond recognition. His eyes narrowed, and the unsettled feeling returned.

After brushing his hands off, he finally stood up and noticed that Luffy had been rather quiet. Turning around, he saw the back of him, as his captain was preoccupied with looking at something else. Zoro stepped up beside him, about to inquire what could possibly be so interesting, until the sight before him made the words die in his throat. He grimaced instead.

Rather than a pile of wood and other materials, this was a small pile of _human skeletons_, the flesh of which having apparently rotted off long ago.

"I wonder why they died," spoke Luffy suddenly, apparently not at all unnerved by this new discovery.

"Who knows?" answered Zoro, a frown still lingering on his face. "Starvation, disease, injuries. It could've been any of those."

"Maybe they were eaten!" Luffy suggested with a swift nod.

"Stupid, if they had been _eaten _then these skeletons wouldn't be intact like--" 

"By the way, I haven't seen any animals yet," Luffy interrupted Zoro, looking around as if one would pop out of either pile. "Have you?"

Once Zoro actually thought about it, he _hadn't _seen any animals. No birds, nor creatures of any kind, save maybe some bugs. And even then, he wasn't entirely sure about those anymore, either.

The two exchanged meaningful looks.

"AHH! Where will we find _meat?!_"

"Is that _all _you think about?!"

A rather lengthy silence followed, before he was given an answer. "I don't know."

"You're impossible."

Luffy grinned at this, looking over at the green haired man suddenly. "Not too impossible for _you._" 

Zoro folded his arms, his eyebrows furrowed seriously. "We'll see about that, I guess."

Luffy suddenly threw back his head and laughed out loud, his merry voice echoing and bouncing across the cave walls. Zoro blinked for a moment, but it wasn't long before he, too, began to laugh. 

After a few moments of this, the two took two wiping the mirth from their eyes, Luffy still giving a hardy chuckle every now and then.

"Let's go back to the shore," said Zoro finally, traces of an easy smile still on his face. "Maybe a ship will pass by."

"Hey, maybe! And then we can find something to eat!" 

"Heh. Maybe." 

And with that, the two departed back onto the clearing, their minds trouble-free for the time being. After all, they had just arrived. There was no sense in borrowing trouble.

Faintly, however, the swordsman felt a pair of eyes looking upon them, but the only thing he could see when he turned around was the blank, collective stare of the cold, silent skeletons that rested within their grave. 

He tried to shrug it off, as he continued on his way, but he still made a silent note to keep his guard up anyway.

After all, they _had _just arrived. 

__

--end chapter 2--

Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated! Thank you!


	4. Of Eegyaks and Monsters

****

Author's Notes: Greetings, everyone! I hope you had a happy holiday. 

First of all, I must apologize for waiting about a month to update, but Christmas came along, followed closely by New Year's, which was, in turn, tailed by finals, which included tight newspaper deadlines. The time and energy to write was far and few between. My apologies once again, and I hope the updates for the remainder of this story will be fairly regular. 

Secondly, I know that several of you who've been kind enough to review have mentioned my problem in the casting with this story. I would like to say that this isn't an accidental oversight on my part. When I first began this story, I was still tottering along in Alabasta. I didn't know how it would end, I didn't know if I'd _ever _get my hands on the rest, nor did I feel I'd seen enough of Vivi to do her justice in a story. I'd recently seen the 3rd movie, and I felt that particular casting would work better in this story. It's out of story line, I know, but after trying fruitlessly to make several elements fit, I realized that something was going to be out of place no matter what. So, I decided not to worry about it. As for "the other person" who later joins the crew, her case was the same as Vivi's. I simply didn't feel like I could do her justice yet. I've managed to get up to Skypiea now, however, and have full intention of adding at least one of them to a story later on. My sincerest apologies if I've disappointed anyone. 

Well, I hate writing author's notes, so, in short, think of it as a movie and sit back, enjoy, and share some of that popcorn with me. ^_~ Thanks for taking the time to read this. On with the story!

_ - Quatrina Raberba_

"Saw."

"Check."

"Hammer."

"Check."

"Eegyak."

"Ch--a _what?_" Tony Tony Chopper turned to Usopp suddenly, as the two sat beside the nearly repaired helm in the kitchen, tool box resting between them.

"An eegyak," spoke Usopp matter-of-factly. "No tool box is complete without one."

"An…_eegyak_." The reindeer blinked and rummaged through the box, blinking curiously. "I…don't see it…"

There was a gasp. "That's _awful! _ There _has _to be one in there _somewhere!_" Usopp clapped his hands over his face, apparently shocked._ "_I _can't_ fix this without it!"

Chopper's mouth gaped open, and he stared at Usopp with wide eyes. "Are you _serious?!_"

Usopp nodded sagely. "Dead serious."

"We'll be stuck here forever!" Chopper exclaimed, suddenly frightened.

"Isn't that _awful? _And it's all because we don't have an eegyak." The long nosed man leaned a little closer to his helper, eyes narrowed, his voice lowered. "I'll bet you anything Luffy _ate it_."

"No!" cried Chopper, as if saying it would make it not so. "No! No, that can't be true!"

His friend suddenly snorted, unable to keep up the act. "It's not!" Usopp suddenly grinned, a mischief look overtaking his face. "I was kidding."

"USOPP!" Chopper scowled. "Don't _do_ that!" Usopp merely laughed when the reindeer looked in the box again. 

"So the eegyak _has _to be in here somewhere, right?"

"Right, right," chortled the sniper. "You just have to look _really _hard."

There was a brief pause. "Usopp, why don't you let Sanji help us?" inquired the reindeer, as he continued fumbling through the tool box.

"Didn't you know? He's awful at fixing things," answered Usopp, while screwing some bolts in on their helm. "Once he blew up the refrigerator when he was trying to repair it. Took him three days to come around and let me fix it."

"Really?" giggled the doctor, surveying several tools for a moment before deciding that none were an eegyak.

"It's true!" Usopp grinned. "By the time it was fixed, all the food had been spoiled."

"That's an obvious lie," spoke Sanji coolly, as he strode into the kitchen, lit cigarette hanging from his lips. Both sniper and doctor froze, eyes wide that they had been overheard.

Laughing nervously, Usopp looked up to behold the smoking chef surveying them. "Then _I'll _let you fix the helm," he answered, lifting his hands from it, dropped tools clattering onto the floor.

The blond visibly twitched. "You just quit being lazy and stick to your own work." And with that, he strode to the counter to prepare a drink for Nami. Chopper gave a confused blink, and Usopp chuckled under his breath.

"See? He should stick to his cooking and us to our eegyakking."

Irritated, Sanji called over his shoulder, "And just so you know, there's no such thing as an eegyak, Chopper."

"USOPP!"

The long nosed man laughed, as he peered forward at the helm. "No, it's all right. We don't need an eegyak after all!"

Sanji growled. "How many times do I have to _tell _you, there's _no _such thing--"

"It's fixed!" announced the sniper, as he fastened the final screw into the large steering stick. Chopper broke into applause, beaming suddenly.

"Now we can go find Luffy and Zoro!" he exclaimed, standing up from the floor.

"That's right," confirmed Usopp as he, too, stood up. "Since Nami has the coordinates of where we last were, we should be there in no time. I mean, it's not like we were blown that far off course."

"Nami-san is so wonderful," sighed the chef. And with good timing, too, for the orange haired navigator entered the kitchen just as he had uttered those words.

"I thought I heard someone say the helm was fixed," she simply said, glancing at the item in question.

Usopp puffed himself up proudly. "That would be me. Chopper and I worked hard on it." Chopper merely grinned sheepishly, choosing not to mention the case of the missing eegyak, which apparently wasn't supposed to exist at all. He still wasn't entirely sure about that.

Nami, upon peering at the helm, placed her hands upon it and gently moved it back and forth to test it out. The ship seemed to lurch accordingly, and she gave a satisfied smile. "It works!"

"Of course!" Usopp folded his arms over his chest. "You were expecting something different?" 

Sanji raised a curled eyebrow at him. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Usopp's eyes suddenly darted over to the blond, a frown suddenly coming across his face. "Hey."

"At any rate," Nami went on, ignoring the light banter between the two, "I'd say we should go South for now. That should get us to where we were soon enough." She lightly nudged the helm with her foot, as if still unsure of its stability. "Who knows? Maybe Luffy and Zoro are still floating around on a piece of wood or something."

"Nah, I doubt it," said Usopp, sitting down at the kitchen table. "That would get too boring for Luffy. He'd make themselves be found by another pirate ship or something." He grinned and placed his chin into his palm.

"I thought we decided they were safe on an island," voiced Chopper suddenly, looking concerned.

"That's right." Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, slowly exhaling smoke from his mouth and into the air. "We've all ready had this conversation, Usopp."

"Why're you looking at me?!" The curly haired man suddenly looked over at the chef, appalled. "Nami was the one who brought it up!"

Sanji's eyes glinted dangerously, the cigarette making him look all the more sinister. "Say that again."

"A-ah, d-did I say something?"

"I thought so."

Nami suddenly sat at the kitchen table, her sugary voice being implemented into action once more. "Oh, Sanji-kun, could you please fix me a snack? Preferably an apple tart. And it'd be nice if you could finish with that drink. I'm awfully _thirsty._"

The chef's ominous air suddenly melted into something far less threatening. "YES, Nami-san!" He quickly turned to the kitchen counter, pulling out his tools of trade from various drawers. 

"Oh, and Usopp?" Nami's eyes shifted to the darker fellow. "Steer for us for awhile, okay?"

Usopp had a feeling that "awhile" really meant "until we get there", and he almost had a mind to protest, but his eyes cautiously wandered over to Sanji before he gave a resigned, defeated sigh. Standing up from his seat, he ambled over to the helm and placed his hands upon it.

"We're going South," the navigator reminded him. 

"I know, I know," he mumbled in response, shifting the stick forward and lightly to the left. 

He missed Luffy and Zoro; he really did. The absence of their comments and laughter from the ship were painfully obvious today. He had half expected Zoro to suddenly stride into the kitchen and get into some sort of squabble with Sanji over something silly. He lightly frowned to himself. The idea of playing hide-and-seek with Luffy in Zoro's stead didn't sound nearly so bad, now that he thought about it.

Besides, if they were here, the two of them would probably be taking turns steering. And then he, Usopp, would have been able to sit down and taste one of Sanji's delicious apple tarts instead. 

"_South_, Usopp," came Nami's voice once more. He adjusted the helm accordingly, and he silently admitted to himself that it wasn't meant to be.

*** 

The air was dense with heat and moisture, and a drop of sweat leisurely made its way down Roronoa Zoro's face as he ambled his way out of the forest and into the small clearing around the rocky mountain's base. He paused for the fifth time since he had started his hunt for food, his ears straining to hear any sound. While one might have thought that was an awfully strange thing to do, this seemed perfectly normal for Zoro.

In hunts on other islands, various beasts would always cross his path at some point or another. Being the skilled swordsman that he was, he would have no problem in slaying it and bringing back more meat that anyone ever needed. But after hunting for an hour on _this _island, the green haired man began to notice something quite amiss.

No matter how still he stayed, and no matter how soundless he remained, complete and utter _silence_ always reigned the seemingly deserted island. 

It was an eerie silence. Nothing stirred at all in its wake, save for the branches that lightly swayed in the small breeze. He hadn't felt like he was being watched anymore since that morning, and he was quite sure that he would have seen anything that had been spying on them. Fact was fact -- there was nothing alive on that island, save for the countless, ancient trees that loomed over the island, and the scattered plant life that lived throughout them. Zoro's mind told him time and time again that this simply couldn't be right. But every instinct in his soul shouted at him that this was exactly what it was. 

He and Luffy were truly and absolutely alone.

It struck the swordsman as almost amusing that it had taken him as long as it did for him to realize that there positively _weren't_ any other creatures with them in this wretched forest. But he was also quite sure that Luffy hadn't given the lack of animals a second thought. The rubber man had wandered away excitedly in an effort to go further explore the island, leaving Zoro to do the hunting. Since there seemed to be nothing to actually _hunt, _he decided that the two of them would have to decide on an alternate source of food. Meat was out of the question, for now.

Suddenly, however, his eyes darted up the rocky paths of the old mountain he and Luffy had visited that very morning. 

Maybe there's something up there to kill, he silently said.

As soon as the very thought flittered through his mind, he immediately began to make his way up the difficult slope. While it didn't start out incredibly steep, it was only a matter of time before he was forced to implement both hands in maneuvering up the mountain.

Minutes drifted by, accompanied with the heavy climbing, until he got to a sturdy path along the side of the mountain that was safe to stand upon. Crouching lightly, he maintained his balance as he realized that he was quite a ways up from the ground. Even so, he knew just as well that he was no where near the very top of the mountain.

He took another pause and listened carefully, however, in hopes of hearing some sort of sound of life. As he did this, his eyes scanned the little cliff he stood upon. Resting along a large slab of stone that helped compromise part of the mountain's side, was a gaping cave. He turned to it and couldn't help but notice that the shape of it was strikingly similar to the one that was at the base of the mountain, although this one was a good deal smaller.

He paused once more, listening, before he heard a sudden noise emit from the shadowy cavern. It was a soft, shuffling noise that barely tickled his sense of hearing. Wasting no time in checking it out, he swiftly entered the cave and lightly gazed around. The shuffling sounded again, and his eyes instantly located the source -- behind a large, oddly shaped boulder that seemed to have fallen from the stone ceiling eons ago. 

He took great care in remaining silent, however, as he made his way over to it, his eyes never leaving the massive stone. He grinned suddenly as one of his hands came to a rest on a sword. Perhaps they _would _have something to eat after all…

But just as he was about to make a move, a round face abruptly popped up from behind the boulder and loomed in front of his own. Wide, curious eyes bored into the swordsman's, and an unnaturally large smile appeared out of no where.

Although startled for the briefest of moments, Zoro regained his composure and growled with irritation. "Luffy!"

"Hi!" The younger fellow continued beaming as he leaned over the boulder to stare at his companion with barely contained enthusiasm. "I was messing around with the rocks around here! There sure are a lot of funny rocks, aren't there?"

"Yeah…rocks," muttered Zoro vaguely, glancing around the cave, irritation all ready half forgotten. "Why'd you come up _here, _though? I thought you were at the other side of the shore."

"I came up here, too," Luffy simply answered. "This place is so interesting!" A brief pause. "I'll bet you caught lots of meat, though! Good thing, too, because I'm starving!"

Zoro's eyebrow twitched lightly. "Does it _look _like I caught anything?" he asked, raising his arms lightly at his sides to emphasize his lack of game. "I really don't think there's anything here _to _catch." 

Luffy blinked before grinning suddenly and pointed behind his first mate. "Why don't you try catching _that _thing then?"

It was then that Zoro abruptly felt hot, moist breath against his back. He gritted his teeth and swiftly whirled around only to be faced by massive, gleaming eyes that were both the size of footballs. An even larger, blue snout accompanied the eyes, along with frighteningly sharp teeth that were glistening with saliva. 

A soft growl emitted from its terrible throat, and Zoro wasted no time in trying to figure whatin the world the hostile creature was. He swiftly placed a sword in his mouth, withdrawing two more immediately thereafter. But just before he could lunge forward to attack, the ground beneath them gave a sudden lurch. 

"What?!" The word was barely uttered from his clenched mouth before the stone beneath them gave way and the two went tumbling into the dark abyss that swallowed them whole within moments. Huge eyes gave a perplexed blink before the monster's head slinked out from what remained of the cave.

True silence reigned once more.

-_End Chapter Four-_


	5. Wandering Pathways and Continuing Journe...

It was his own groan that roused Zoro into consciousness, and it wasn't long until his eyes slowly cracked open. Darkness prevailed around them, that much was for certain, and he had to wait a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the extremely dim lighting. He could barely see the hole that loomed far, far overhead. It must have been a long way down, he was sure. They were fortunate that nothing massive had landed on them, pinning them in the process. 

Something suddenly shifted underneath him, and a soft mumble reached his ears. "So…hungry…"

The swordsman rolled off to the side and sat up, only to discover that he'd landed on top of his own captain. Luffy stirred in response to the sudden lack of weight upon him, and his eyes shot open. "Meat!" he cried.

"Gone," came Zoro's flat response, his eyes traveling upward towards the hole they'd fallen from. "I don't see a trace of him from here."

The rubber man sat up, uninjured due to his amazing powers, and stared up in the same direction as Zoro. "This place is funny," he proclaimed.

"No kidding," said Zoro as he stood up. He lightly brushed himself off and gazed around himself. There was plenty of space all around them, he realized, and a chilly draft gently rustled his hair. "There's some ventilation here," he observed. "There must be an opening somewhere other than above us."

"Are we in a tunnel then?" inquired a now standing Luffy, his own eyes traveling along the rough, damp, stone walls.

"Or at least something like it, I guess," replied Zoro. Luffy beamed, his hands clapping together.

"Let's explore, Zoro!"

"All right," said the swordsman after a brief moment. "But we're finding a way out as soon as possible."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Luffy. "We can do that, too!"

And off they went, side by side, against the light breeze that swiftly ran through the gloomy passageway. Barely a word was exchanged between them, and an easy silence hung as Luffy's curious eyes cast themselves this way and that. They walked along for at least ten minutes before they came to an intersection of sorts, which introduced two new paths that ran on either side and into opposite directions. In light of this new discovery, Luffy looked right, then left, then forward, then right again, before announcing that he had no idea which way they should go.

"It'd be a lot easier if they had a _sign, _wouldn't it?" he added casually, scratching his head all the while. 

"I say we just keep going the way we are," answered Zoro, not the least bit confounded by the two new pathways. "We'll get to an opening eventually this way, since there's a breeze."

"I'll bet there're more places like this," Luffy said excitedly, ignoring his fist mate. "I'll bet you there're a _ton_ of tunnels all through the mountain!"

Indeed, to Zoro, it seemed his captain's last statement actually made a bit of sense. He wouldn't be all that surprised, either, if there was an entire network of tunnels running through out the place. Not paying it much heed, however, and certainly not delving into the question of what put those tunnels into place, he continued forward and his captain strolled beside him.

Several more minutes lazily drifted by before the two companions saw something bright -- an exit -- in the distance. Giving a sudden whoop of joy, Luffy suddenly broke into a gleeful run. "Hey!" growled Zoro. "Wait up!" He followed suit in order to keep the same pace.

Wasting no time and no momentum, the dark haired boy abruptly reached out and wrapped a long arm around his first mate. Ignoring the sudden protests that ensued, he immediately threw his arm back, taking in a deep breath. "Gomu _gomu no_…!"

"Luffy!" snapped Zoro. "What do you think you're _doing?! _Stop!"

But it was too late. Faster than the eye could see, his rubber-like arm suddenly flung out before them both, reaching farther and farther until he finally grasped onto something neither of them could see. Grinning at his friend mischievously, Luffy let out an exclamation of, "_Rocket!_" and he let his feet off from the ground in mid run.

Together, they shot off from the cliff and over the lush, green forest like a speeding bullet. A mighty yell of protest sounded, but it did absolutely no good. It was only a matter of seconds before they both slammed into the scratchy sand of the empty shore, skidding at least 20 meters before rolling to a halt.

Coughing up copious amounts of sand from his mouth, Zoro abruptly pulled out of Luffy's grasp and sat up. "Out of _all _the _idiotic _things--" he managed to sputter.

"What?" asked Luffy good naturedly, lying rather comfortably on the sand, not having swallowed any. "You wanted out of that mountain, didn't you?"

"I _hate _it when you do that, though!" By now, a lot of the sand was out of his mouth, but it still didn't make it any more pleasant.

Luffy grinned suddenly as he sat up. "I know." A sudden twinkle appeared in his eyes, which clearly stated to Zoro: _That's what makes it fun._

Growling, the swordsman stood up and brushed himself off. "I know you know," he finally grunted, but he didn't seem nearly as angry as he did just a few moments ago.

"I know you know I know," Luffy shot back playfully, his feet clapping together. Before Zoro could retort, however, his captain's stomach suddenly gave a low, loud growl. "Ayah," he said, patting his tummy and forgetting the conversation at hand, "I'm _hungry, _Zoro. Why didn't you kill that blue monster when you had the chance?"

"You know why," he merely answered, his arms folding over his chest. 

"But I'm _still _hungry," Luffy persisted. 

__

"The only thing for us to eat is that monster up there," said Zoro simply, gesturing lightly at the mountain that loomed over the forest.

"All right then," announced Luffy. "_I'll _get the monster for us to eat!" He resolutely tried to stand up, but only succeeded in falling over, deflated and without energy. "…ahh," he managed after a moment. "I'm so hungry…"

Zoro simply sighed, sitting down beside Luffy once more. He wasn't in any hurry to go to the mountain again, either, although he had entirely different reasons. For one, a lack of food didn't bother him as much as it did Luffy. He knew he could on for weeks without food if he needed to, whereas Luffy seemed to be able to go only a few hours before declaring that he was hungry. It was one of his captain's pleasant quirks, really, and after seeing how much he could _eat _in one sitting, Zoro supposed it wasn't surprising that he got hungry so often anyway.

As for his second reason, well, he didn't like the prospect of being flung from the mountain again and eating sand to boot. No, he had no problem in waiting a little bit before going to get their meal.

He watched as Luffy idly intertwined his own fingers together and stretched them, looking exhaustedly bored. "You know," he said after a moment, "I like using my fingers like this to make a net."

"It'd be great for catching fish," prompted Zoro casually, his eyes wandering over to the softly roaring sea.

"Yeah, I guess it would," responded his companion. "All I'd have to do is sit there and wait for some fishies to swim into my net."

"I could start a fire to cook them," offered the green haired man, a soft grin on his face.

"Yeah! We could have a meal by night time," said Luffy, a similar grin taking over his own features. 

"It's almost sunset. I heard fish feed around that time."

"I heard that once, too."

There was a brief pause, consisting of an easy going silence.

"You know," spoke Luffy as he slowly hauled himself up onto his feet, "I'm gonna go catch some fish!" 

"You go do that."

"I will! I'll bring back good fish, too!"

"Right."

And with that, the rubber man languidly departed a small distance down the shore to find a suitable place for fishing with his interesting little net.

__

***

Night settled in around the _Going Merry _like it usually did, and an odd sort of silence prevailed around her deck. While many of the crew members usually slept around this time, such was not the case this night. Being without two people had its drawbacks, and that included being shorthanded. Everyone aboard had to pull their own weight, plus the extra that was left unattended to.

Usopp, who was still standing near the helm, yawned a bit with a mixture of fatigue and boredom. The good thing about the helm on the _Going Merry _was that it could stay in place, so you wouldn't have to press it into the same direction for hours on end. The bad thing was that, in light of its previous damage, it occasionally slipped out of place and drove the ship off course. He knew he would have to check into that in the morning or afternoon, depending on if he was still awake by that time.

Tony Tony Chopper sat at the kitchen table, not too far away from the long nosed fellow. His furry little head was tilted forward, and a soft snore emitted from him. Usopp grinned lightly at the reindeer, glad that at least _someone _was getting some sleep. Nami was keeping look out in the crow's nest, which meant that Sanji was more than likely fretting over her, trying to convince her to go to bed. 

Just then, the kitchen door opened, and Sanji suddenly strode into the room while taking a drag from his smoldering cigarette. Chopper startled awake, and the blond chef casually said, "Coffee, anyone?"

"Nah," replied Usopp, shifting the helm back into place again. "I'm fine. Thanks anyway."

"Ahh, but Nami-san insisted that I do something other than look after her in the crow's nest." The chef's eyes became aglow, and he smiled brightly. "Nami-san is _so_ attractively independent!"

"Well, if you're that eager to do something," said Usopp, grinning lightly, "you could always take over the helm for me."

"I'd rather make coffee," stated Sanji bluntly. 

"_Or_ you could help me find my eegyak," added Usopp as an after thought. "It's still missing, you know." Sanji decided not to respond to this, as he made his way over to the kitchen counter to prepare some coffee, at least for himself.

"_I _could help you find your eegyak," spoke Chopper helpfully, albeit a bit sleepily. Usopp chuckled under his breath.

"There's no reason for you to, Chopper."

"Then do you want me to help with the helm?" he inquired, a tad nervous at being placed with such a large responsibility as steering the ship. 

"Working a helm is nothing for me!" exclaimed Usopp happily. "I've manned an entire ship by myself before! No one can man a ship better than I, the great Captain Usopp!"

The doctor smiled suddenly. "Really?"

Usopp nodded, giving off the appearance of someone skilled and wise. "Really."

"I thought just a minute ago you were asking me to take over for you," spoke Sanji from the other side of the room.

"I did?" replied Usopp delicately, a serious expression on his face. 

A brief pause. "Fine, whatever." The smoking cook went back to making his coffee.

"Say," asked Chopper, looking back and forth from Usopp to Sanji, "how long do you think it'll take for us to find Zoro and Luffy?"

"I don't know," replied Sanji casually. "That's hard to say."

"As fast as we can," said Usopp firmly. "Definitely." Chopper shifted a little uneasily in his seat.

"I feel bad," he confessed after a moment of silence. "I believe you when you say we'll find them, but I still feel bad that it happened."

Sanji and Usopp gave each other momentary glances before Sanji asked, "Do you blame yourself?"

"Wouldn't you?" said Chopper. "I mean, if I'd have hurried, maybe I could've given them the rope sooner, and they'd be here instead of…" a pause. "Out _there._" Wherever that was.

"No," Sanji answered after a moment. "No, I wouldn't feel bad at all." Chopper seemed taken aback by this statement.

"Why not?" he asked, incredulous. 

"Because, if you try your best, everything will turn out for itself," was Sanji's relaxed reply.

"But what if your best isn't _good _enough?" spoke Chopper once more, turning completely to Sanji's back.

The chef paused a moment at the question, and he stopped grinding the coffee beans as if a memory had suddenly snagged at his mind like a sharp hook into the flesh of a fish. As a child toiling in the kitchen, he had been quite acquainted with his best not being good enough. After an odd silence that lingered for a few seconds, he turned to Chopper suddenly and smiled at him. 

"Your best will just get better as time goes by." 

"That's right!" came Usopp, reassuringly. Chopper jumped at the sudden exclamation, and his head snapped over to the curly haired man. "Besides, look at it this way," he continued. "Were _you _the one who caused the storm?"

Chopper blinked at such a silly question. "Of course not."

"Did _you _push Luffy into the water?"

This time, the doctor was almost offended by this query. "No!"

"Did _you _tell Zoro to jump into the water?" 

Chopper gave an abrupt scowl. "Absolutely not! Stop asking stupid questions!"

"Well, then," said Usopp confidently with a grin, not at all abashed by the reindeer's outburst. "I guess that means none of this is your fault."

This seemed to take the youngest member of the crew by surprise, and he gave a sudden blink of understanding. Smiling with a sort of relief, he gave a laugh. "I guess so."

A long, comfortable silence lingered in the kitchen, save for Sanji's quiet bustling as he finished up with his coffee making. However, Usopp quietly leaned towards Chopper and whispered with a sheepish grin, "Wanna take the helm from me?"

"I thought you said it was no problem!" exclaimed Chopper, somewhat confused by the question.

"Er," Usopp scratched his head, giving a feeble laugh, "did I?" 

Sanji merely snorted from his side of the kitchen.

Outside, Nami adjusted the blanket around her shoulders as she leaned slightly forward to peer into the vast ocean. Careful not to let the cover slip and expose her to the cold, she withdrew her binoculars and gazed out into the glittering horizon. It was easier to see in the day time, but with the moon's constant beam tonight, she was able to see better than she'd hoped.

Normally, she would've retired to bed long ago. However, the closer they got to where they'd been before being blown off course, the longer she wanted to linger in the crow's nest. It was difficult for the orange haired girl to pinpoint exactly why this was, which frustrated her to a certain degree. Was it because she was concerned that another storm would hit unexpectedly, like before? Maybe a little. Was she expecting to find Luffy and Zoro somewhere near here? Partially. 

But she also knew for sure that every time she tried to leave the crow's nest, the same words would rush into her mind. 

_"I saw something when I was in the crow's nest! I think it was an island -- isn't that cool?"_

When Luffy had first informed the skilled navigator of this the day before, she had deemed the statement untrue. Not only did she not expect to reach land so soon, but it wouldn't have been the first time her captain ran away with his own imagination and simply thought he saw one thing, when it was really another. 

But now, she was a little bit more willing to go by Usopp's latest motto -- "Well, we _have _seen stranger things, right?" Really, reaching an island several days early didn't sound that outlandish, now that she was able to sit down and think about it. 

Whether it was because she thought Luffy could be right, or that she wanted to find some sort of glimmer of hope in the prospect of finding her lost comrades, she wasn't sure. But she _did_ know that she wanted to see the validity of Luffy's island, even if she had to stay in the crow's nest all night. 

"Someone needs to be up here at all times anyway," she spoke to herself. "We can't risk missing Zoro and Luffy at all." What was left of the crew would just have to take shifts, and she knew they could do that just fine.

Sighing to herself, she lowered the binoculars for a few moments and gave her eyes a chance to rest a little. The young navigator couldn't help but wonder what the captain and the swordsman were up to right at that particular moment. 

_Where are they?_

__

***

As it turned out, the two were just finishing their first meal in over 24 hours. It was a grand feast consisting of two fish and a crab, which was just enough to make Luffy even hungrier.

"I sat out there for _hours,_" he declared while playing with his own fish bones and staring into the crackling fire that sat before them both. "But I only caught that much!"

"Guess you're just not an expert fisherman," said Zoro, who about to start on his own, burnt fish, tearing off a piece of it with his own fingers. "But it's a lot better than what you've caught before."

Luffy muttered a vague, "Yeah," but his dark eyes had fastened themselves onto Zoro's fish. 

Noticing this, the swordsman looked up at his captain. "Don't even think about it," he said shortly. "You've all ready had a fish and half a crab. This is mine." Prior to eating, they both agreed to split the crab between them, and they boiled it using the kettle Zoro had found in the pile of junk in the cave that morning. Luffy might have forgotten, but the green haired man intended to eat his fish.

To make his point clear, the green haired man popped the piece he'd torn off into his mouth. Luffy's salivated as he watched him like a hungry dog that lingered beside a table, hoping for scraps. Upon chewing it, Zoro grimaced a tad at the strange texture, but he silently acknowledged that it was edible. Just as silently, he admitted to himself that fish roasted over a simple fire wasn't quite up to par with Sanji's lavish meals. Even so, he swallowed it and tore himself another piece, careful not to get any bones.

Luffy instinctively moved closer to the swordsman, eager for food, but Zoro moved way just as swiftly. As he was about to place the second piece into his mouth, the dark haired boy suddenly exclaimed, "I'm hungry! Can't you share?"

"Will you just leave me alone?" growled Zoro, still holding the warm fish in his hand.

"No!" proclaimed the rubber man, his eyebrows furrowing in determination.

"How many times do I have to _tell_ you--" But he stopped suddenly as he turned to face him. He recognized that look of resolve, and he knew it would take a long time for Luffy to quit badgering him about it. Even in the moon light, he could still see traces of that desperate hunger in his eyes -- even amidst all the will power that was in the rest of his face. 

An irked sigh left the older fellow, and he grudgingly extended what was left of the cooked fish to him. "Fine, _fine, _just take it all ready!" Immediately, his friend's eyes lit up.

"Really?" he asked, a tone of glee in his voice.

"Yes! Just take it before I change my mind!"

Luffy wasted no time in snatching the food away from his first mate. "Thank you!" he exclaimed through mouthfuls of fish. "Thank you! You're the greatest guy _ever, _Zoro!"  


After watching him for a moment with the tiniest of grins, Zoro remembered to grumble and laid down onto his side, turning his back to Luffy. "Yeah, fine. Just don't go thinking I'll give you my food every time we eat a meal, okay?"

All ready finished with picking the fish's bones clean, his captain beamed at him. "Okay!" Silence fell after that, and it wasn't long until Luffy's dark eyes idly wandered from the discarded skeletons to the softly crackling flames that danced before them. It hovered over dried coconut husks and pieces of wood, and it cast a significant amount of light across the dark shore of the island. He could barely make out his and Zoro's shadows, as well as the shadow of the kettle that rested beside them.

The soft glow of the fire, as well as the gentle roar of the ocean, soon began to draw Luffy's eyelids to a partial close. He yawned, stretching pleasantly, and began to settle himself onto the sand.

"Oi," came Zoro's voice. "If you're going to go to sleep, put out the fire." 

"Right, right," said Luffy sleepily. He stood up and immediately kicked sand onto the fire, weakening it tremendously until a gust of wind killed what was left of it. He stamped on the ashes for good measure before plopping himself onto the sand beside Zoro. 

A draft made itself be known as it skidded past the two pirates in a less than gentle fashion. It took a few moments for Luffy to notice, but his arms wrapped around himself as soon as he did. "I wish Chopper were here," he announced to no one in particular while rubbing his arms.

"Chopper?" inquired Zoro lazily. "Why?"

"He's furry," answered Luffy with a grin, "so he keeps you warm."

"Well, he's not here," said the unconcerned swordsman. "You'll just have to be a little cold."

There was a brief moment of silence until Luffy slowly turned to his friend with a mischievous smile. "But _you're _here."

Zoro didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Luffy, why are you looking at me like that?' Silence. "Luffy? Luffy, I will _leave _if you get any closer." More silence. "Luffy, let _go _of me! I'm _not _a furry deer!"

A laugh. "But you're warmer than nothing!"

"Aghh…"

It was going to be a long, long night.

_-end chapter 5-_


	6. Wins and Losses

_The waves violently tossed them about as if they were its mere play things, having no regard or mercy for them. Its terrifying strength smothered their own, insignificant power into nothing, and Roronoa Zoro began to feel his energy flicker like the small flame of a dying candle. He held onto his friend tightly, straw hat clenched between his own teeth, as he tried to keep both of their heads above the raging torrent. Rain beat down about his face, making it that much harder to stay afloat. But he knew that regardless of what happened to him, he would let absolutely no harm could come upon Luffy or his hat. Even if it killed him._

As he struggled violently through the raging water, he called above the deafening roar of the waves and the rain. "Luffy -- do you see the ship?!" He received no answer; his captain was too weak from the sea to even speak. 

The strong currents had swept them both far beneath the ocean surface, and farther away from the ship. Heavy sheets of rain prevented either of them from seeing anything within a certain distance. 

It was plain and simple -- they were surely going to drown. As if to make this point clear, a heavy wave suddenly crashed into the green haired man, and he felt both their bodies spiral through the unforgiving ocean. Still, his teeth clenched tighter around the hat, and his arms remained firmly around his captain. He would not give up. 

I won't lose, _he told himself fervently. _I won't lose. _Neither_ of us will lose!

With all of his frantically beating heart, he repeated this to himself countless times. Even as the long hours drifted by, accompanied with nonstop abuse, his determination never wavered. Even when he began to feel his flame die, that firmness still remained as his vision began to leave him.

Even when an unseen pair of sharp claws latched onto his form and cruelly snatched him from the water, all he could do was stubbornly hold onto his captain, losing himself into the foggy darkness and the overwhelming exhaustion that now plagued his body and mind.

…and then the chilly wind of the empty shore swept him into wakefulness, and it wasn't long until he was reacquainted with the soft, gentle roar of the calm sea. His eyes cracked open, and he absently ran a hand through his hair. Dawn's early light had just peeked over the horizon, and he could see where the tide was beginning to go out. 

"A dream," he mumbled to himself. Slowly, Roronoa Zoro sat up and stretched pleasantly, a sleepy yawn escaping him. He gave a sudden blink, however, when he realized that Luffy was missing. 

_Probably after that monster, _he thought to himself. After standing up, his eyes scanned the shore for anything unusual, but, after a few moments, he found nothing. Upon looking over the peaceful ocean, he vaguely wondered when the _Going Merry _would show up in the distant horizon. Giving an irritated sigh, he folded his arms over his chest. "They're so _slow,_" he said aloud.

Deciding that he was thirsty, however, he made his way into the forest to drink from the cool spring they had found the other day. As he walked, however, he realized that he had no idea where the water was, and it was only a matter of time before he found himself lost.

***

While a well rested Monkey D. Luffy had begun his climb up the mountain in pursuit of his meal, he soon found himself distracted by something a bit more amusing. He had made a discovery, which he cheerfully dubbed "chalk rock", and it wasn't long until he began to put it to productive use. Scrawled out, lopsided faces now stared up at him from a particularly odd shaped boulder. He grinned, admiring his own handiwork for a moment, before depositing the chalk into his pocket. The deformed faces of his crew grinned back from the smooth stone.

"They look just _like _them," he commented aloud, although Sanji probably would have killed something after seeing his captain's portrayal of Nami. 

Satisfied with looking at his "art", Luffy's tummy rumbled with want of food, and he knew that he would have twice as much fun drawing on a _full_ stomach. Dark eyes looked heavenward, towards the summit. Staring right back from the mountain's peak, however, was the dark figure of something large and looming. 

Luffy grinned. "I found you, Mister Monster!"

He wasted no time in throwing his rubber-like arm forward, flinging it up towards where the creature was. Grabbing a hold onto a jagged boulder, he shot upward at an amazing speed. Failing to calculate where he would land, however, he succeeded in slamming into the blue monster's neck and it wasn't long before he slid down onto the gravelly earth. 

Once again casting his eyes upward, his gaze was met by the same football sized eyes he had seen the other day. This time, however, the pair of eyes loomed from a head that was held high upon a long, stretching, blue neck that was connected to a gracefully muscular body. Arching from its speckled back were a pair of folded, scaly wings. The monster's long, winding tail, on the other hand, seemed a bit restless at the pirate's unexpected visit. Even so, Luffy was not discouraged by the large, dark shadow that hung over him.

"I'm gonna eat you," he bluntly said, grinning. "Better get ready!" The puzzled creature merely blinked at him, and there was a brief pause. Luffy's grin never wavered and he said, " I guess you're _stupid_, aren't you?" The pirate abruptly stood up, stretching somewhat in the process. "Oh, well! It'll make catching you easier." He gave a simple laugh and balled his hand into a fist. "Gomu _gomu no…_" The blue, towering monster merely yawned. Upon shouting, "_Pistol!_" Luffy's fist flew towards the long neck in an attempt to snap it. 

The winged beast easily averted his head and neck off to the side, allowing Luffy's stretching arm to fly past him and into the air. Somewhat surprised, Luffy gave a massive grin. "Wanna play, huh?" The rubber pirate abruptly threw his weight into one side, and his arm was sent curling around the monster's neck by the force. Once, twice, three times it wrapped around it and squeezed it tight. Giving a startled, choked cry, the speckled monster reared its dragon-like head to the side with incredible strength. 

Luffy was forcefully lifted up from where he stood and was thrown up into the air, letting out a sudden cry of his own. Not forgetting his other arm, however, he sent it hurling at his foe while keeping his firm grip on its neck. A long, slender tail abruptly lashed forward and blocked his advance by wrapping itself effectively around his arm. 

Caught by both arms, it wasn't long until Luffy reached his stretching capacity and speedily bounced back into the monster's chest and onto the ground. Cracking an eye open to gaze at his captor, he stuck his tongue out. "I've still got my feet to use!" Giving another amused blink, the creature raised its small but muscular arms as if to say: _I've got _these,_ too. _

Upon seeing this, Luffy gave a hearty laugh. "Let's see who wins, then!" Pulling back both legs, he sent them hurling at the monster's chest once more. In a single, anti-climatic moment, the large, clawed hands caught both feet. 

There was a long moment of silence that clearly spelled a tie. 

"I like you, Mister Monster!" Luffy finally declared, giving another laugh. "Looks like neither of us win _this _round! Wanna have another go?" His feet were pulled upon by the creature, as if to readily accept the challenge, and he let go of him. After his legs snapped into place, Luffy released his hold upon the slender neck and his other arm was immediately released by the tail. 

But it was when Luffy ran a relaxed hand through his own dark hair that a horrible realization sunk in. 

"Wait!" he cried out, his eyes widening. "My_ hat! _Where did it go?!" Indeed, it was no where to be found on his head! 

The monster cast its large eyes about the area, as if scanning for it. After a few, brief moments they located the straw hat, which had fallen onto a scraggly bush some 20 meters below where they stood upon the mountain. Alerted by the sound of a strong tail thumping against the ground, it wasn't too long before Luffy's own eyes spotted his beloved treasure. 

"Ah! My hat!" Having no regard for his own safety, he made the jump down to the level his hat rested upon. He quickly snatched it from the small bush, grateful to have it back in his possession. After giving a light sigh of relief, he placed the hat back onto his head and grinned. It was then that he leaned forward to have a closer look at his hat's former resting place. His eyes suddenly lit up, however, when he realized what the bush actually contained. 

"Berries!" 

***

It was quiet -- _too _quiet -- upon the _Going Merry. _The night had passed unusually slow, crawling by at the pace of a snail. With it, it carried the curt scent of strong coffee and no sign of Luffy, Zoro or any sort of island. Sanji, who had been unable to stand the thought of dear Nami-san being in the crow's nest all night, had finally convinced the navigator to let him have a turn keeping a look out. Tired and drained, it wasn't long until she conceded and left the crow's nest. But after several fruitless attempts of claiming any sort of sleep, she had wandered into the kitchen to keep Usopp and Chopper company and make sure they "didn't screw anything up." 

And thus, that was the way the night went on. But it was dawn now, which called attention for at least a _little _bit of cranky chatter, and a groan pierced the boring silence that reigned the kitchen. 

"Are we _there _yet?"

Nami sighed irritably, her eyes glazed and tired, whilst sipping on some freshly brewed coffee. "Usopp, that's the _fifth _time you've asked that this morning." Barely suppressing a yawn, she managed to add, "You just keep steering, and Sanji-kun will let us know when he sees something."

"But, _Nami!_"

"Stop complaining!" snapped the navigator, and, after giving a yelp, Usopp hurriedly turned back to the helm.

Shifting lightly in his seat beside Nami, Chopper suddenly yawned as he rubbed his own eyes. "You should all go to bed," he lightly admonished. He was quiet a moment before nervously adding, "What if something _happens _and no one is rested enough to deal with it?"

Nami smiled lightly at the reindeer. "Then we'll deal with it anyway." There was a brief pause, in which her grin widened a bit. "Besides, I haven't seen _you _getting much rest."

"W-well," sputtered Chopper, somewhat taken aback, "I _felt_ bad leaving you all working like that!"

Usopp laughed, but Nami's glare sent him recoiling into silence. Turning to Chopper, however, the orange haired girl sweetly said, "Thank you for helping, Tony-kun." Their doctor uncomfortably squirmed in his seat.

"You're, um, welcome," he managed after a moment. She regarded the youngest member of the crew with a fond smile before her eyes drifted idly to the wall, staring off into space with fatigue. 

"If Sanji-kun doesn't see anything soon, I don't know _what _I'm going to do," she wearily sighed before her eyebrows abruptly furrowed and a light scowl graced her features. "Leave it to Luffy and Zoro to cause so much trouble!" Folding her arms indignantly, she suddenly looked over to Usopp. "When they get back, remind me to make _them _pull double shifts!"

"Right, right," mumbled Usopp tiredly, adjusting the helm for what he felt like was the millionth time. "And you remind _me _to take a look at this helm again. If it'd stay put like it did before Luffy broke it, Chopper and I'd still be sleeping."

"Don't even _talk _to me about sleep," growled Nami irritably, rubbing her eyes. "I don't want to hear it." 

Suddenly, however, Sanji's voice seemed to ring from afar. But the sound was so new compared to the heavy, boring quiet that had prevailed most of the night, that everyone's heads suddenly jerked towards the kitchen door. 

"Is there something wrong?" asked Chopper anxiously. "Why is he yelling?"

"Actually, it sounds almost like he's happy," replied Usopp blearily. "At least _someone's _cheery…"

Nami's hands suddenly slammed onto the table, causing both doctor and handyman to jump. "I'll bet you that--!" She could barely contain her new found glee as she shot up from the table and across the kitchen, suddenly throwing open the doors. Even amidst the blowing wind and the roar of the ocean waves, Sanji's voice could now be clearly heard. 

"Land _ho!_" 

Upon hearing this, Usopp and Chopper soon joined Nami to gaze outside into the baby blue horizon, a newfound hope in their faces. 

"Land!" exclaimed the reindeer happily. 

"And not a moment too soon!" laughed Usopp.

"Look, I think I see it!" said Nami as she pointed forward. "Maybe Luffy and Zoro are _there!_" As she said this, Chopper and Usopp took to merrily dancing in circles. Even so, however, a light feeling of unease rested in the pit of Nami's stomach.

***

Zoro cursed under his breath as his eyes continued to scan around himself, hoping to find any sign of familiarity. But the further he continued into the forest, each tree and shrub looked more foreign than before. "Stupid spring," he growled, his skin moist from the dense, humid air. "It's almost not even worth it." But whether the trip was worth it or not, it no longer mattered. He was hopelessly lost and he needed to find his way again.

Just as he was about to make a random turn to the left, as he was beginning to decided that left sounded a lot better than going forward, something immensely large and shadowy in the sky caught his attention. "What the--?" Its long, slender neck was hovering along with the rest of its blue, speckled body, and its powerful wings beat against the air to sustain the wait of itself. The wind from the force angrily rustled the trees, and the swordsman's eyes narrowed when he saw something limp and still hanging from its claws like a dead mouse in an owl's cruel grip.

His eyes suddenly widened. No--!

Legs carrying him as fast as they could go, he dashed through the trees and into the distance, to where the massive creature was beginning to land. As soon as he arrived into the large clearing, the monster was just beginning to depart into the sky once more. Zoro came to a halt and withdrew his swords, his eyes taking a brief moment to scan the area before him.

And it was then that he saw Monkey D. Luffy, where he had been deposited onto the earth, motionless and quiet, his arms and legs sprawled about like that of a broken toy.

Growling, he looked up and shouted out at the descending monster, his voice tearing out of his throat--"Wait! I'll _kill _you!" But the flying creature paid him no heed and propelled himself with a purpose, becoming too far out of reach. Even so, the first mate's rage was not dissuaded, and he grinded his teeth with burning eyes. 

But there was nothing to be done, and, grudgingly, Zoro put away his gleaming swords before suddenly turning to his captain. "Luffy--" The green haired man was kneeling by his side within an instant, shaking his still body and slapping him on his clammy face. "Wake up." But he did not revive, his face disturbingly peaceful. After a few moments of this, he suddenly passed a hand over the rubber man's nose and mouth.

There was breath.

Sighing with relief, he quickly checked Luffy for any injuries. There were none, except upon his hands and mouth there was--

"Blood?" said Zoro softly, his thumb wiping some of the crimson liquid from Luffy's face. "No." He knew the sight, smell and feel of blood all too well. This had an almost pulpy texture, and it smelled more bitter than it did metallic. "Berries," he finally deduced. 

Frowning somewhat uneasily, he gently lifted the thinner fellow into his arms and silently stood up. If he continued in the opposite direction from the mountain, he was almost positive he would eventually reach their camp upon the shore. Surely Luffy would wake up before he got there. And then they would laugh together about how stupid the pirate captain was for eating something that he knew nothing about. For that, of course, was a good way to get poisoned.

Swiftly making his way into the forest, with Luffy's unconscious form in his grasp, Zoro continued forward and never deviated from his straight path. He would devise a way to kill that monster later -- what needed to be done now was to make sure his captain was well. 

He was so single-mindedly determined to fulfill his task that he did not give any thought to the sudden array of dark storm clouds that were forming overhead. Nor did he notice the scattered, unfamiliar human footprints that lay just several meters away from him.

_-end chapter 6-_


	7. Scary Travels and Flittering Voices

The wind was beginning to blow furiously now, angry clouds gathering in the sky as they hovered above the _Going Merry. _Nami wearily noted to herself that she was getting an unsettling sense of déjà vu. As lightning crackled through the sky, she ran a feminine hand through her orange hair, and she lightly bit her lip.

_Is it a coincidence that this has happened _before? she silently asked. _Maybe Luffy really _did _see an island right before that first storm came. _

"I wonder if they're connected," came a new voice. Nami was startled to hear Usopp's statement, and she abruptly turned to find the long nosed man staring apprehensively at the ocean.

"You mean the storms and the island?" she quickly asked.

Usopp licked his lips uneasily, nodding. "Yeah. Seems kinda weird, doesn't it?" Nami thought for a moment before giving a weary smile.

"Well, we _have _seen stranger things, right?"

Usopp managed a feeble laugh at the girl's comment. There was a brief moment of silence, the ship beginning to rock heavily.

Nami suddenly scowled at Usopp. "What're you doing just _standing _there?! There's a _storm _coming! You know what to do! Don't worry about Sanji and I -- we'll stay out here and manage the sails and look after the trees!"

"A-ah! Right! Right!" He dashed into the kitchen to steer, not even giving Sanji, who was handling the sails, a brief glance. Chopper, who felt much safer inside, ran after the curly haired man in an attempt to help him out incase the currents became too hard to steer against. 

He left not a moment too soon, for it was then that the storm decided to make itself more pronounced, the sky several shades darker than it had been before. Thunder clapped through the air, and the ship tossed violently amidst the growing waves. 

"Can I do anything to help?" asked Chopper urgently as he tried to maintain his balance atop the kitchen floor. 

  
"Nah, I'm fine," Usopp answered as he swiftly made his way over to the helm. "I'm not gonna break this baby like Luffy did. You and I worked too hard on this for it to, so everything should be fine."

The ship gave another violent lurch, and, despite his slightly nauseated stomach, Chopper gave a determined look. "I'm not talking about that, Usopp."

"Oh?" The curly haired man's gaze fell upon their doctor, his hands gripping steadily onto the helm. "Then what is it?" he curiously asked, his voice holding a tinge of nervousness due to the recent circumstance.

The youngest member of the crew took in a deep breath. "I'm talking about doing better than my best," he quickly answered, his words almost running together. "I want--" A pause. "I _need _to prove myself." Another beat of silence. "Please?"

Upon hearing those words, Usopp's tense face flickered to a sudden surprise before it melted into a fond smile, tinged with a kind of admiration. Dramatically, he slowly let his hands slip from the helm. "I, Captain Usopp, give you charge of the helm then. You seem worthy of such a charge."

Choppers eyes widened for a moment, and Usopp thought he could see them watering somewhat, brimming with emotion. "Yes, sir!" he cried valiantly, an earnest look on his face. "I will do my best! You won't be disappointed in me!"

And as the heavy storm wailed outside, the two comrades seemed to reach an understanding of sorts. It concerned meaningful matters that were seldom found in the average, mediocre man, such as loyalty, acceptance, honor and -- most importantly -- bravery. 

There were a few moments of smiles and laughs between two friends who could relate, before the entire room seemed to tilt onto its side. The helm suddenly jerked into the opposite side from where it had originally been placed, and Chopper -- who grew into his full, man size -- gripped onto it with his strong hands before he lost his nerve. Clenching his teeth, he pressed the stick into the correct position, and whether it was because of luck, determination, or both, the two pirates could feel the ship righting itself out.

"Whew," sighed the reindeer, although there was a visible droplet of sweat upon his brow. "That was close."

Usopp clapped. "Well done!" He took a moment to pause, as well as to breathe, as he reached out a supporting hand against the table. "But, _hey_--why weren't you holding onto the helm to begin with?"

Chopper suddenly looked at him. "You were the one who was being all dramatic and slow in letting it go! Like we had _all the time _in the world." He briefly appeared flustered. "It confused me!"

"Captain Usopp confuses no one!"

"D-don't kid at a time like this! It makes me nervous!" Chopper's grip tightened against the helm. "It really _does_ feel like it could break," he said a bit softer, anxious.

"Guess I should go find my eegyak then, eh?" laughed Usopp as he slowly made his way to the door. "Actually, I think I'm going to see if Nami and Sanji need any help. This storm is really a doozey!"

"Y-yeah, go do that," managed Chopper. And Usopp was gone, the kitchen door being slammed shut behind him by the strength of the wind. The young doctor silently wondered if he had offended his friend by his outburst moments before. However, it occurred to him during a flash of insight that Usopp hadn't been offended -- he was merely extending his trust to Chopper, showing him that he held every bit of confidence that he could manage the helm by himself.

The reindeer knew he had high expectations to live up to, and he vowed to not only meet them, but to surpass them as well.

Unfortunately, as Usopp battled the heavy rain that plummeted against him, it appeared that they were going to have other troubles to face other than merely managing the helm. 

"Oi, Nami! _Nami!_" The curly haired man thought his voice had drowned amidst the racket of the storm, and he nervously clutched at the rail. "Nami!" he called again, louder this time. "Sanji!" But he received no answer, and his eyes scanned the deck, as well as along the sails of the ship.

His eyebrows suddenly rose , however, and his mouth dropped open. 

"O-oi," he said to no one in particular, "why aren't…Sanji and Nami out here?" But he figured he knew. And he licked his lips. And he took a deep breath. And a panic stricken shriek left him. "MAN OVER BOARD!"

***

"Sanji!" screeched Nami as she clung desperately onto the blond chef. "What is _going on here?!_"

"Ahh, Nami-saann," sighed Sanji, in absolute bliss that the orange haired girl was _holding _onto _him. _"You're so attractive when you're confused."

"Confused?!" exclaimed the navigator, her eyes flashing as her grip tightened on him. (Sanji made a shout of delight.) "You mean to tell me that you don't find this the least bit _abnormal?!"_

"Abnormal?" inquired a content Sanji. "It's only natural that you would draw to the strongest man for protection, Nami-san." He beamed, his eyes glistening. 

"I'm not _talking about that!_" screamed Nami. She took a split second of a pause, her lips pursed together as she tried to collect her racing thoughts. "Sanji-kun, we are BEING CARRIED THOUGH THE AIR BY A_ GIANT MONSTER!"_

"Oh, _that._"

"IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"

Sanji took a brief moment to think as a particular, blue, speckled monster gripped onto the two pirates, its claws wrapped tightly around them. The rain continued to poor as hard as ever, but the awful creature's speed never decreased. Finally, however, the chef spoke. "Well, it _is _a bit odd, but there's no reason for you to worry your pretty little self as long as _I'm _around!" 

_At least Usopp would have had the common sense to panic, _Nami told herself silently, her eyes stiff with terror. 

But much to her horror, the monster began to abruptly descend from flight. Just as quickly, she found herself thanking the heavens above that Sanji knew how to kick as well as he did. _I'm not going to be anyone's supper!_

It wasn't long until they began dashing through the rain and over a lush forest. Nami squinted through the raging storm. "An island!" Indeed, it appeared they were going to _land_ on this island. "The sooner we get onto some solid ground, the better!" She sounded almost relieved. Almost.

"And _then _what will we do, Nami-san?" The chef's voice had a tinge of mischief to it. "It'll get awfully _lonely_ on an island all by ourselves, won't it?"

Nami's eyebrow twitched. "You. Shut up. Now."

"YES, Nami-san!" 

It was only a matter of moments until their captor hovered above a sandy shore that rested outside of the forest. Unceremoniously, it dropped them there.

And the creature promptly soared back into the air and towards the looming mountain that was in the middle of the dark forest. 

"Hey!" shrieked Nami to its disappearing back. "What's your _problem!?_" She felt rather bold when accompanied by one of the skilled fighters of the crew. "Sanji-kun!" she barked. "Go teach that thing a lesson!"

"I'd _love _to Nami-san," Sanji answered earnestly.

Drenched from head to toe with rain water, however, Nami swiftly ran an irritated hand through her wet hair. "Oh. forget it! It's too high _now._ Let's go find some shelter from this awful rain. We can come up with something while we wait it out." She turned towards the forest and began to walk into a bough-ridden passageway, confident with her companion near. "Come on, Sanji-kun."

"Ahh, yes, Nami-san!" He followed her like a little puppy, obedient and without question.

***

All he could hear was the soft pattering of the outside rain and the beating of his own heart. He wasn't frightened, really -- that wasn't his style. Nor was he upset -- there was little he could do about the situation, after all. He wasn't fine, either -- because being stranded on an island with your poisoned captain really didn't denote being all right. Although he _had _been in bad scrapes before, it just seemed worse when other people were involved. 

Silently standing at the mouth of a dark, moist cave, a shirtless Roronoa Zoro stared out into the muddy clearing, his dark eyes narrowed. He had been fortunate to discover the storm clouds before he had reached shore. As soon as he had realized that it was about to rain, he swiftly turned back and made for the clearing he had just left. Nami could accuse him of having no common sense all she wanted -- but _he _figured that someone suffering from poison would probably fare better when warm and dry, as opposed to being cold and wet from rain water. 

He had decided it was only a matter of time before the rubber man recovered, it being Luffy and all, but he couldn't help but turn back to gaze at the prone figure that rested beside a large, rough boulder. His captain was draped under a familiar white shirt, and Zoro momentarily -- almost awkwardly -- averted his eyes outside. However, the only thing to look at out there was the falling rain, the swaying trees and the dirty mud. Soon growing bored with the sight, he easily made his way from the mouth of the cave and to Luffy's side. Dropping himself onto the ground, he sat and waited. As for what he was waiting for, he wasn't really sure.

_He still looks just as pale as before, _he noted to himself, his eyebrows furrowing as he glanced at the younger fellow. _I wonder how much he ate. _Not that it mattered or anything -- knowing the amount of poison he consumed wasn't going to change the fact that it had been eaten. He still found himself feeling a bit angry, though -- not necessarily towards his captain, but rather at the situation they both were in.

I wish we had Chopper here. His own stomach growled, and another thought occurred to him. _Having that stupid cook wouldn't be so bad, either. I'd bet that he would at least know the basics of treating poison. _But before admitting that he'd complimented the blond chef, he hastily added, _I'll bet he's poisoned at least a few people in his lifetime, so of course he'd know._

He lost his train of thought, however, when his eyes shot over to the mouth of the cave. The green haired man suddenly felt tense, and he could have sworn they were being watched. His heart lightly raced, and his hand instinctively made its way to one of his swords. A few moments passed in silence.

_Snap!_

__

Zoro abruptly stood up and was lingering beside the mouth of the cave, where the sound came from. But he saw nothing.

_Snap! _This time, it was from his near left, and his eyes immediately darted over to the said direction. Still, there was nothing. Highly doubting his ears were playing tricks on him, he remained where was, ready and waiting. But before he knew it, he felt a light breeze rush past him, and a snobby voice spoke from behind him. 

"I dare _say_, boy! Don't you know _anything?_"


	8. The Monocle and Quietus Miraculum

Upon hearing the rude query, the green haired swordsman abruptly whirled around, his hand instinctively gripping onto one of his swords. But he froze when he merely saw a middle aged man placidly staring back. The stranger wore a subtle expression of mock amusement, and his squinting, staring left eye held a shiny monocle in place. With dirty combat boots and beige shorts and vest, he was quite the spectacle. He was rather small compared to Zoro, but his calves and arms held a bit of firm muscle to them.

Weird appearances aside, however, there was one thing that sent Zoro's mind in whirl.

"What're you doing in here?! --and _how _did you get in here?!" he managed to sputter out, growing more indignant by the moment at the stranger's calm demeanor.   
  
"I, sir," spoke the stranger at last, "am a hunter." 

There was a brief pause.

"And this tells me _what _exactly?!" growled Zoro, who was starting to like him even less.

"That I am more _gifted_ in stealth than--" his voice cut off for a moment as his eyes surveyed the green haired fellow, scrutinizing him. "--an ungraceful chap like yourself."

"There's no _way _you should've been able to get past me like that," snarled Zoro, taking a threatening step towards him. 

"Ah, but I did, dear sir." The blond hunter gave a dry smile. "But, really, there's no reason to fear me--"

Zoro scowled. "--Who are you calling _afr_--"

The stranger merely talked a tad higher in order to let himself be heard. "--there's no reason to fear me, as I simply didn't like the look of those three swords you had there." His eye twinkled. "I often find that it's much easier to ask for forgiveness after making a move than it is to ask for permission to do the same thing. And, I, sir, wanted in this cave." He took a brief pause, and eyed Zoro as if he were doubting his intelligence and added, "If that made sense to you, sir."

The first mate's eyebrow twitched at this, and he managed to speak between clenched teeth. "Just--who are you and what do you want, huh?" 

The stranger's gray eyes suddenly lit up, and a pleasant little laugh left him. "My _name,_" he declared while puffing himself up lightly, which reminded Zoro of a quirky little pigeon, "is Sir William Raffles III, the _best _hunter in the region!" Zoro was suddenly reminded less of a pigeon and more of Usopp, which resulted in a weird mental image of a pigeon Usopp. Suddenly, he found it incredibly difficult to take the huntsman seriously. The fact his name was Raffles didn't help much either.

It was then, however, that Raffles seemed to become aware of Luffy's still form. "Oh!" He exclaimed dramatically. "What is _this?_" He promptly kneeled beside him, but a gleaming sword suddenly plunged between the hunter and the ill captain. 

"You can look," growled Zoro, his grip tightening on the sword, "but don't touch." 

The hunter didn't look abashed at all by this gruff response, and he casually said: "What happened to him? He looks awfully pale."

Zoro's eyes briefly fell upon his captain; indeed, the dark haired boy _did _look a shade whiter than he had before. And his breathing was starting to become labored. "It's none of your business," he finally answered.

"Oh?" Raffles peered a bit closer at Luffy, which caused Zoro to jostle the sword threateningly. Taking the hint, the hunter pulled back a bit, but his voice didn't sound the least bit hesitant. "Why, I'd say he looks like he's had a bad round of _poison._"  


The swordsman held back his surprise, but barely. "How would _you _know?"

Sir Raffles proudly beamed up Zoro, taking a moment to polish his monocle. "I, sir, am a _botanist._"

Realizing that this was supposed to be important somehow, Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yes!" proclaimed the haughty hunter. "I know all about plants! In fact, I can tell if someone has consumed a deadly plant just by _looking_ at them!"

Zoro's other eyebrow raised as well, meeting the other. "Deadly?"

"Deaf, are you?" The hunter replaced his monocle back onto his left eye. "Indeed, I did say deadly."

"You mean you're saying that…Luffy's going to _die?_" Zoro hadn't been expecting that at all.

"That's generally what the word 'deadly' implies," replied Sir Raffles, his own eyebrows raising at the swordsman's question. 

"Just what would _you _know?" grunted Zoro, steadily keeping the sword in place.  
  
"Many things," replied the hunter in a wise manner. "For instance, I could cure him right now." Zoro didn't say anything to this, and Raffles knew he'd caught onto something. A sly smile graced his lips, and he decided to prod at the situation a bit more. "I really could, you know." A pause, for effect. "He's dying."

"Shut up!" snarled Zoro suddenly, his eyes flashing over to the man with the monocle. "He'll be fine if we just leave him alone."

Raffles knew he had touched a nerve, and he tried to look sympathetic. "Really, it's not serious if dealt with properly," he calmly tried to reason with the green haired man. "Leaving him alone isn't going to do anything except make the problem worse, dear sir."

Zoro lightly grinded his teeth , his jaw become tight and stiff. He briefly wondered what his captain would do in such a situation. Trusting people was something Luffy was excellent at, but Zoro had always seen this as an easy way to become hurt, vulnerable -- a target of someone's cruelty. Thinking of this, his grip on his sword merely tightened further, and he threw a scathing look at the hunter. 

But then, something suddenly clicked. He recalled his captain's easy going smile, his merry laugh and his twinkling eyes. And he realized that he didn't really have much of an option anymore.

"Fine, but if you're lying," he growled, his eyes glinting, "I'm going to personally kill you." The hunter held up a hand, whilst shaking his head lightly.

"I assure you, sir, I'm not lying. Nor do I wish to be killed."

"All right, fine," said Zoro, still keeping the intimidating tone in his voice for good measure. "What do we do?"

Sir Raffles grandly cleared his throat, apparently happy to show off any talent that he had. "Well, first of all, I say it's important to give him plenty of water. This will help flush out any toxins he has in his system."

Zoro raised a wary eyebrow. "And?"

"We'll go from there. First, let's get him some water. There should be a spring around here, yes?" The hunter titled his head curiously.

"Yeah," said Zoro slowly. "Yeah, there is."

"Excellent. Let's go then, shall we?" The man with the monocle quickly got up from where he was crouching and gave a massive smile to the swordsman. Reluctantly, Zoro put away his sword and gently lifted his captain into his arms. 

By now, the rain had practically vanished, and the green haired man couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this familiar pattern. _There's something weird with this island. _And, as he glanced at the hunter beside him, he realized that this was true for multiple reasons. But his captain held the first and foremost priority, and they embarked out of the damp cave and into the moist forest.

***

"It seems we're the only ones here."

The statement fell heavily upon the deck of the _Going Merry, _and Tony Tony Chopper shifted nervously where he stood, staring at his comrade with rapt attention. "Y-yeah."

Usopp, who was standing beside the rail of the deck, was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Even so, he squared his shoulders and firmly gazed down at their doctor as he easily slipped into his normal role. "Do you realize what this _means_, Chopper?"

The little reindeer was quiet for a moment before suddenly wailing, "We're _doomed!_"

"No!" The long nosed man suddenly threw up his hands to Chopper, shaking his head. "No, no! That's the wrong answer!"

Pausing in his crying, the youngest member of the crew blinked at their sharp shooter. "It is?"

"Of course!" Usopp proudly thrust a finger to his own chest. "It is _we _that are the survivors. Therefore, it is _we _who carry the responsibility now."

Chopper slowly nodded his head, understanding. "Y-yeah. You're right, Usopp."

"Of course I'm right!" cried the long nosed man, managing a grin despite the circumstances. "So we go forward, Chopper! _Forward!_"

"Forward!" repeated the doctor with a renewed vigor.

"We stick with the original plan!" shouted Usopp in his most authoritative tone, as if he were rallying an entire troop for war. "We shall proceed to that island that wishes to thrwart us so! We'll _show _that island, won't we, Chopper?!" 

"F-Forward!!" squeaked Chopper. "_Forward!_" The situation seemed far too frightening to say anything else.

"Forward!"

"_Forward!_"

"To the island!"

__

"_Forward!_"

"It's _our _job to rescue everyone now, right, Chopper?!"

__

"**_Forward!!_**"

With nothing left to spout out, the long nosed man merely stared up into the sky, his arms crossed over his chest. Chopper was still gazing at the older fellow with determination, ready to shout out his new word if needed.

But several moments passed in silence, and, finally, the reindeer had to speak. "O-oi, Usopp?"

"Mmm?"

"Why aren't we moving toward the island?"

"I suppose heroism isn't something that comes just by looking handsome, is it?" laughed Usopp feebly. 

"No."

Sighing and briefly dropping the façade, the sharp shooter grinned at the doctor. "Can I depend on you to man the helm?" Eagerly, his friend nodded. "Good. I'll take care of the sails and man the crow's nest." He paused for a second. "It's a good thing we don't have any damage on the ship. I want to find everyone as soon as we can."

Chopper nodded, shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Which way do we go?" Usopp narrowed his eyes. 

"South."

The way he uttered the word was so impressive and commanding, that Chopper took a minute to openly express admiration and awe upon his own face. But as Usopp dutifully walked away to take care of his responsibilities, the doctor couldn't help but note that the fellow's legs were shaking uncontrollably and looked like they were about to give way. 

***

The clear water cascaded from Zoro's hand before it slowly dribbled onto Luffy's dry, parted lips. While some if it flowed down the rubber pirate's chin, his first mate was sure a good portion of it went into Luffy's mouth. As he did this, a soft moan left his captain's throat, which, to Zoro, indicated that he wasn't entirely unconscious anymore. This was good.

He shifted Luffy in his arms and dipped his hand into the cool spring that they were currently resting beside. Once more, he brought the makeshift cup to Luffy's lips and allowed the water to freely flow into his mouth. The green haired man watched the subtle movements of his captain's throat, and he knew that he had swallowed most of what he had taken in. This was even better.

Surely it was only a matter of time before he recovered.

Just then, however, he felt someone standing behind him, and he turned his head to see none other than Sir William Raffles III. Grimacing, the swordsman asked, "Well?"

The botanist huntsman nodded. "Indeed, I did find what I was look for." He knelt beside the two, holding up a small, dented pewter cup. "I found this in that cave of rubbish back there, and it will suit our needs quite dandily."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched. _Dandily? _

Ignoring the subtle gesture on the swordsman's part, the hunter held up a rather small leaf. "If you grind this up, it'll form a little bit of a paste. Here." He placed the leaf in the cup and was about to mash against the piece of plant with his own knuckles when Zoro suddenly spoke.   


"I'll do it." And with that, he snatched the said cup from the hunter's loose hands. Sir Raffles, however, didn't seem the least bit surprised. 

"Very well, then," he answered politely. Zoro merely grunted in reply and swiftly mashed the leaf up with his own thumb and forefinger, allowing what was left of it to fall to the bottom of the cup. The hunter hovered lightly over his shoulder in order to watch, which vaguely irritated the pirate.

"I think that about does it," announced Sir Raffles. "Just dip it into some water now, and you'll have a sort of elixir right there." 

"What will it do?" inquired Zoro, eyeing the crude paste for a moment. 

"Merely neutralize the poison that's in his body," replied the hunter. "It's a rather handy plant, that one. _ Quietus Miraculum_, as it is called. We're quite fortunate to find such a thing here. Normally, it is eaten by various animals, but," he lightly laughed, "I suppose we wouldn't have that problem _here, _now would we?"

Suddenly, it struck Zoro odd that a hunter would be on an island with no animals. "How did _you _get here?" he finally asked while dipping the cup into the spring. "I haven't seen you at all until now."

"A dreadful storm knocked me off my boat, you see, and this rather _large _blue monster rescued me and took me here," replied the hunter. "That was actually quite some time ago. I've been living off the non-poisonous plants of the area, as well as the few fish I manage to catch. As to why you haven't seen me," he looked over at Zoro and gave a tiny smile, "I suppose you just kept on missing me."

"I really doubt that," answered Zoro flatly. Even so, however, he lightly pressed the filled cup to Luffy's lips, and the mixture flowed down his throat. The rubber pirate gave a light cough, and shifted as he drank, stiffening somewhat. The swordsman gnawed on his own lip, watching him intently. Luffy gave a low sigh as soon as the cup was empty, and he fell against Zoro's chest in a restful slumber. The first mate gave his own inward sigh -- of relief. 

"There now, see?" said Sir Raffles, apparently quite please with himself. "He looks better already." Before Zoro could say anything, the hunter went on. "Let's get him back to our cave, eh?"

"You mean _my _cave," spoke Zoro pointedly as he hauled both himself and Luffy from the ground. 

"Erm, yes."

With that, they departed into the forest once more, leaving the peaceful spring behind them. They traveled the way through in silence, although it bothered Zoro to have to rely on the other man in order to get back to the cave. His own sense of direction was horrible in comparison. Luffy _did _seem to be resting easier since their trip to the spring, however. Even his breathing seemed to be mellowing out a bit, and some of the color had returned to his face. 

It wasn't too long until they had reached their cave, and the hunter commented, "There are a lot these out here, aren't there?"

Zoro shrugged, as he made his way into the deep mouth of their shelter. It didn't matter how many caves there were, in his opinion. And as far as he was concerned, he didn't want to have much to do with this weird guy anymore either. 

"Wait," called Sir Raffles, picking up his pace to follow Zoro. "Could you do me a favor?" The swordsman stopped himself from putting Luffy down, and turned to face the other man instead. 

"Do you a _favor?_" he asked suspiciously. 

"Well, it's only common courtesy," explained the blond huntsman. "After all, I did _you _a favor, did I not?" Zoro refrained from grinding his teeth again. The guy had a point. 

"All right," said the pirate. "What do you want?"

"Well, as you know, I'm not only a stupendous botanist, but also a skilled hunter," proclaimed Sir Raffles, his arms folding over his chest. Zoro gave him a wary look, but the other man plunged onward with his speech. "As a hunter, it is my profession to take down whatever wild prey I come across. I would be honored if you would assist me in killing that blue monster that lives here."

Zoro blinked. "That's all I have to do?" Sir Raffles sagely nodded. 

"Indeed. That's all I ask." The swordsman grinned. 

"All right, then. You've got a deal." As he said this, he knelt down and gently placed his captain back onto the cave floor. He briefly considered taking his white shirt back from the rubber pirate, but he decided to leave it on him for the time being. 

"We'll go now," said the hunter. 

"Sounds fine with me," answered the green haired man, his eyes still lingering upon Luffy for a moment. "It won't take long at all." He imagined his captain would be thrilled if he came back with _real _food for him to eat. 

"Good, good," answered Sir Raffles, quite pleased. "I think you'll find many questions answered as we go, too. There's a lot about this monster you don't know."

Zoro didn't entirely care, so he didn't say anything in reply. Instead, he slowly slipped away from Luffy and strode out into the clearing once more, the botanist huntsman at his heels.

A soft breeze blew through the island, not even bothering to be a prelude to what kind of mess the former bounty hunter was getting himself into.


	9. Search and Seizure

"Bones!"

"Nami-san is so_ observant!_"

"_Human _bones, Sanji!"

"Nami-san is so _descriptive! _I love her more and more!"

"Will you cut the crap, and _think _about this for a second?!" 

The cook was silent for a moment, as he stared at the pair of skeletons they had found in a dark and gloomy cave. He took a glance at the pile of junk that was beside them and gave a sly grin. "Don't worry, Nami-san. That won't happen to us." 

Nami sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sure that's what _they _said." She gave an annoyed gesture to the human remains to emphasize her statement. Sanji merely took out a cigarette, lit it and placed it between his lips. 

"I won't let it happen."

Nami's eyes suddenly looked over to Sanji, and a light smile barely graced her features. Sanji was trustworthy, and she knew it. He'd rather die than let anything happen to her; he'd proven this statement time and time again in the past. And if something were strong enough to kill Sanji, there really wasn't much hope for the situation to begin with.

Her stomach suddenly did a sick roll, and she decided not to dwell on that possibility.

"I suppose we should cover more of the island and see if we can't find any decent shelter," the navigator took a brief pause, "that, ah, doesn't have any dead people in them." At the mentioning of dead people, Sanji's mouth suddenly split into an odd grin[2] and Nami _knew_ it was time to move on. "All right, let's go. I think we'll be able to see more of the island if we climb this mountain."

"Good idea, Nami-san!" The cook obediently turned and followed her out into the clearing. From there, Nami only took a few moments to survey the mountain that rested before them. 

"We won't have to climb all the way up," she stated, her eyes climbing upward until they reached the summit. "Just high enough to see a good portion of what's around here." 

Sanji grinned. "I'll be behind you all the way, Nami-san, don't worry."

Immediately, Nami wore a shrewd look on her face, and she gave a forced smile to Sanji. "Ah, actually, I was hoping you'd lead the way." The cook's cheerful demeanor momentarily flickered away, but he dutifully went ahead of her. 

"I'd love to, Nami-san."

"Thank you, Sanji-kun." 

"You're most welcome, Nami-san."

Nami merely sighed, and the two began to make their way up their own trail.

*** 

"How much longer are we walking for?" 

Zoro's question seemed to mildly irritate his temporary companion, and Raffle's eyes flickered over to the green haired man. "Why must you keep asking this?" he asked, almost desperately.

"Because you haven't given me a straight answer yet," Zoro said, quite annoyed himself. 

"Well," spoke the hunter slowly, not attempting to pick up his pace as the two made their way up the mountain, "there's a good deal you need to know before we go kill the monster."

"Yeah, fine," said Zoro quickly, wanting to get any explanations out of the way so his initial question would be answered.

"First of all, it's a very rare creature. Blue Tailed Fisher, as it is called. I suppose it's called that because it likes to 'fish' people out of the water. It's memory has only been kept alive through supposed myths and legends. Isn't that fascinating?"

"Mm." Zoro was trying not to let his eyes wander too much over the landscape as the hunter spoke.

"As I was saying, it's an incredibly intelligent creature. Very sociable. In fact, I'm quite surprised it's been living on an island by itself like this." The blond smiled broadly, apparently happy to show off his knowledge. "I suppose that would partially account for why it brings people onto the shore."

Wait a second. Zoro threw a look at the hunter. "You mean it's lonely or something?"

"I would say that is the reason," replied Sir Raffles. "And it uses the immense power in its wings to stir up the winds and the clouds, thus creating a storm. That way, he's ready to bring any unfortunate soul who falls into the water to shore. Although I _do _find that explanation rather far fetched."

Zoro shrugged. It didn't sound that unreasonable to him, considering he'd seen a lot of incredible feats since he first joined Luffy's crew. "Makes sense to me."

"Yes, well," Raffles waves his hand dismissively at Zoro, "you're not an expert in this field like I am." The swordsman took the gesture as an excuse to give him a look of open contempt. 

"I'm sure you've seen _all sorts _of things, eh?" Zoro almost rolled his eyes as he said this and fell silent.

"Well, I was rather detained for the past few years," answered the hunter, quite unabashed by the rude question. "I've just recently been able to pick up this old profession." There was a brief silence before Zoro spoke.

"How much longer are we walking for?"

"For heaven's _sake, _will you stop asking that cursed question!?" But the hunter's eyes lit up, and he suddenly pointed to a dark entrance of a cave. "Ah, let's start in there."

"What makes you think it's in a cave?" asked Zoro irritably, as he followed the other man to the designated spot. 

"Well, naturally it would be the first place to look," replied Sir Raffles smugly. "After all, it _did _make those caves."

"Why would it do that?" asked Zoro, now aggravated with the monster for making such a confusing network through the mountain. His eyebrow lightly twitched at the memory of falling through the ground with Luffy. His mouth pressed itself into a thin line when he recalled that his captain had been up and running around just the other day.

The hunter's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "Didn't you know? It _eats _the rocks."

Zoro had to repress a snort. "_Eats_ them?" He gave Sir Raffles an odd look. "I've never heard of anything eating _rocks _before." 

"Indeed, but a Blue Tailed Fisher does." The monocled man gave a knowledgeable nod. "It has a strong gut in order to absorb the minerals from them. Quite interesting, eh? Gets along with other plants and animals quite nicely because of that. No one fears the Blue Tailed Fisher except for sailors who don't want to be ship wrecked." 

"Who _would _want to be shipwrecked?" asked Zoro, repressing the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," murmured the hunter faintly. Zoro had nothing to say to this, deciding that Raffles was merely looking for a way to make his intellect appear even higher. The swordsman's eyebrow twitched again.

Thankfully, it didn't take them long to reach the inside of the cave. While it was mostly identical to the other caves he'd seen scattered through the mountain, this particular one was a bit damper to Zoro. 

"Ah, it must be new," stated Sir Raffles, grandly gesturing to the rough walls around them. "I wouldn't be surprised if it ran above and below other tunnels, too. We'd best be careful."

The green haired man faintly wondered if the dampness of the cave really accounted for the blue creature's saliva, but he didn't particularly feel like sending the hunter on a long winded explanation. Instead, he merely avoided touching the walls. Sir Raffles, on the other hand, ran his hands along what seemed to be every jagged edge and every indentation he came across. 

"Amazing," he breathed. "Absolutely amazing."

Zoro didn't really care one way or the other. He just wanted to find the thing so he could kill it and be rid of his temporary companion. However, he did find it a pity that the hunter wanted to kill such a rare creature. _But, _he reminded himself, _we'll actually have some food. Which is fine by me. _

It didn't occur to him that Sir Raffles might not be willing to divide the catch with him, however.

By now, the sunlight from behind had almost completely disappeared, and Zoro noticed that some places in the ground seemed unstable. The swordsman made a mental note to be careful, although Raffles made a loud, clear verbal warning moments after.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you broke your neck after falling through several tunnels," commented the hunter. He gave a smile anyway, a few teeth missing from his mouth. "Not that that would happen."

Zoro quickly looked away from Sir Raffles, his lip curling lightly at the pointless chatter. _What a weirdo._

He must have gotten the cold hint because not another word was spoken between them for the rest of the trip. Silence loomed within the roughly crafted hallways, save for the constant echo of feet falling against hard ground. This continued for quite sometime until they reached a dead end -- a cliff of sorts that hung over a wide cavern, flowing with freezing water in some places. 

Zoro looked over the edge as if expecting to find the monster in question somewhere. When he only saw an almost endless space below, he kicked a rock into it. Several seconds passed before he heard it hit plop into some water. 

"I don't see any monster, or whatever it is you call it," said Zoro at last. "I guess we should go back."

He received no answer.

Zoro, quite irked, managed to growl, "I take the time to leave my friend and come with you." He turned around. "The least _you _could do is--" But he never finished his sentence as he felt a pair of unseen hands come from out of nowhere and push him back. He stumbled -- waved his arms to catch his balance -- and slipped.

His stomach did a back flip, but his hands were quick and he managed to grip onto the cliff's edge with one hand. Dark, alert eyes traveled down, only to see several pebbles scatter from beneath him and be swallowed by the abyss below. With legs dangling helplessly for a few moments, he tried to get some sturdy footing against something, anything--

"Silly fellow," came a soft voice from above. Zoro suddenly looked up, but saw nothing. "I am a skilled hunter, far better than you think I am. Why would I need the help from the likes of _you?_" Rage suddenly flashed through the swordsman's face, and he opened his mouth to make a retort. "Yes, I know who you are," interrupted the voice of Sir Raffles. "That straw hat that belongs to your captain -- the one I swiped from him and used to lead him to those potent berries -- is quite a trademark of his."

A forceful curse left Zoro's throat, and his nails dug into the rock. Frantically, his eyes searched around him, but he still saw nothing. "Can't see me, eh? That's probably why I was able to watch you ever since you've been here." A light, mirthless laugh. "I was worried at one point -- your facial expressions at times told me your were suspicious of your surroundings."

"What do you want?!" growled the slipping first mate, his heart furiously pounding in his chest. 

"Well, I certainly _don't _want to share any of the Fisher's meat with you _or _your captain. Nor do I wish to share the glory of catching such a rare creature." A haughty snort. "Your captain's head can give me a pardon from the government. With that done, the blue head of that foul creature should do the rest in ensuring a comfortable life of fame and fortune."

_Pardon from the government?! _Zoro's breath almost caught in his throat. "Luffy--!"

Another mirthless laugh -- cruel. "You're just like any regular animal. I can read you like a book." Zoro suddenly felt his fingers being pried from their own saving grace. "Yes, I'm sure you're wondering _why _you can't see me." Three fingers left. "Certainly I'll tell you." Two fingers left. Zoro resolved to not let them give way, no matter how hard they were pulled. "Let me just say that it's from a fruit that no hunter should do without." 

_Crunch._

Zoro gritted his teeth as he felt a boot slam and break the bones in his remaining fingers. Delirious pain shot through his hand from the impact. Before he knew it, his weight was pulling him down at a dizzying speed.

It didn't take the swordsman long to disappear, just as the rock that he himself had kicked in just a short while ago.

A soft snort, and a single pair of footsteps was heard. "Fool."

***

Heart pounding furiously in his chest, Monkey D. Luffy startled awake. Wide, curious eyes opened, only to be greeted by the dark cave ceiling that hung above him. Allowing a short amount of time for his vision to adjust and his heart to settle down, he sat up and contentedly yawned. 

"What a nap!" he exclaimed cheerfully, although he could faintly taste the bitter flavor from his last snack. Upon the memory, he looked around and said, "I'm hungry." No one answered.

His body was sweaty, he noticed belatedly. Blinking, he wrapped his arms around his suddenly chilled body. It was then that he realized that, in addition to his own red shirt, he was clad in Zoro's white T-shirt. It was baggy on him, so it was difficult not to notice. 

"I wonder what this is for," he asked aloud, looking around briefly for an answer. "Isn't Zoro cold without a shirt?" This seemed to trouble him, as he recalled the times Zoro had stolen the clothing of others. Why would his swordsman leave his own shirt behind like that?

He called his name, standing up and looking around. No answer. "Zoro!" Silence. 

Perhaps he was hunting? Eyebrow furrowing, the captain sincerely hoped that Zoro wasn't eating without him. But Zoro wouldn't do that. No, he was just out hunting still. Or maybe he was training. Luffy knew his first mate liked to do that, too. However, he figured food would probably be his main concern. 

"Zoro's hunting," he assumed, talking to himself in response to the lack of company. "He'll be back soon. And we'll have plenty of food." Grinning, he crossed his arms, confident now. "I want to be here when he comes back." He plopped himself down onto the ground. "I'll wait for him right here."

And wait he did, even as the sun began to set, and the chilly evening wind hauntingly echoed through the cave. Undaunted, the pirate casually placed his straw hat onto his head and grinned.

"Hurry up, Zoro. I'm waiting." 

-------------------------------------------------------

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[2] Those who've read past Alabasta should get this joke. ^^ 

__

Comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks.


	10. Distracting Chats and Risky Games

It was cold and suffocating. Overpowering ringing in his ears seemed to tear his very brain to pieces, and his crushed fingers sharply crippled his hand with pain. It was dark, so dark that he wasn't even sure if his eyes were open. Rocks of varying sizes he'd taken with him during his fall had landed on top of and beside him. A sickening warmth crept down parts of his body, and it became obvious to him that he was bleeding.

"Luffy--" his voice was hoarse and faint, his hearing foggier by the moment. His twisted body shifted in its resting place within a bed of shallow water. A choked groan left him. Giving a mighty shudder, he fell still for a moment. Inwardly, he cursed at himself, at that wretched hunter, at his captain's terrible situation--

_He'll be a sitting duck if he's poisoned like that--! _Sucking in a deep breath, he knew that he should be able to overcome his own condition as he began to tap into the inner strength that rested from the very depths of his soul. 

_You're _weak, _Zoro, _came a child's voice, softly, from within. 

His eyes suddenly flew open. "I am _not!_" He cried out to deaf ears, an unbroken fist at his side clenching in determination. Heart pounding with exhaustion, with passion and with unreserved strength, his stomach muscles tightened and he swiftly drew himself up to a sit. His almost lost its balance, and his hands flew to his forehead as if that would keep his headache at bay. 

He breathed hard for several, aching minutes, ignoring the tight pain that foolishly tried to constrict his lungs.

His body eventually regaining its bearings, it wasn't too long before his eyes began to reclaim their ability to see. The lighting was dim, but it could be adjusted to. He wasted no time in sitting around and excruciatingly hauled himself up from the ground. Roronoa Zoro wasn't competing for the slot of best swordsman for nothing. 

He grinned lightly to himself, but he didn't spend too long on inwardly congratulating himself for not dying. Briefly, he looked up from where he had fallen and grimaced. He could hardly see his original standing place, and he cursed at the deceitful hunter again. 

I wonder if the fool really had this planned out since the beginning… 

Dark eyes immediately scanned the area for any signs of an escape. Large boulders seemed to litter the large pool of water he was standing in, but those were useless to him. Maybe he'd have to _slice _his way out. He knew it could be done if he really put his mind to it. Even so, he didn't find the prospect very appealing -- especially since he was so pressed for time. 

Suddenly, however, _something _caught his gaze -- something good. A tunnel.

He silently thanked the monster for having a huge appetite, as well as a bizarre choice of food, and made his way over to the gaping mouth that held his freedom. Although no one was with him, he made sure to give no sign that his injuries had made him even slightly vulnerable. It had always been important to be on guard, but it was especially crucial now. 

_Hang on, Luffy. _

And with all of the strength and resolve he possessed, he threw caution to the wind, forgot about his injuries and dashed forward into the dark passageway that loomed before him.

***

The _Going Merry _had certainly seen happier times.

It had been difficult enough manning the ship without Zoro and Luffy on board, but the absence of Sanji and Nami seemed to increase the workload ten fold. Fortunately, Usopp had some prior knowledge in navigation and Chopper was the best and most eager helper the long nosed man could have asked for. Although they both admitted that their situation would be running a lot smoother with at least Nami on board to help, the doctor and handyman tried not to hesitate in taking up their burden with strong resolve.

"We'll find them soon enough, Chopper," spoke Usopp with forceful confidence as he steered the ship. The reindeer, who was standing on a stool at the kitchen counter and preparing light sandwiches in an effort to keep up their strength, paused momentarily to look over at his companion. 

"I hope so," he answered honestly. "It's kinda scary, though. What if that big storm comes again?"

"S-storm?" inquired Usopp, subtlety gripping onto the helm as he spoke "What makes you think a storm will come?"

"Well," said Chopper, his eyes falling onto the half-made sandwiches, "it's happened before, hasn't it? In fact, it's happened _twice. _And both times we lost people." The youngest member of the crew took a brief pause before he continued, anxious and concerned. "There's only you and me left, Usopp. What if--" He sucked in a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably on top of the stool. "What if _we're _next? What'll _happen_ to us? And what'll happen to the ship?"

Usopp was quiet for a moment before he looked over at the doctor and gave a hearty laugh. "You and _me? _Thrown off the ship?! Don't be ridiculous!" He puffed himself up proudly, his arms folding over his chest. "As long as I'm captain around here, _nothing _will harm us! This ship will not be abandoned!"

Chopper watched his friend, blinking lightly. "Um, Usopp? The helm?"

"Ah." The long nosed man quickly gripped onto it, his mighty façade wavering momentarily. "Yes, well, ah, I think I've said enough."

"But," spoke Chopper, troubled, as he focused his attention upon their late supper, "just in case, what'll we _do _if there's a storm?" He bit his lip. "I'm scared the waves will wash me over if I go take care of the sails!" They both already agreed to leave the trees covered incase the weather decided to change again, but the sails still proved to be a problem.

Usopp grinned. "The sails? You just leave _those_ to _me!_" The handyman made a grand gesture into the air in order to draw attention away from his shaking legs. "In fact, you don't need to worry at all! I'm the Great Captain Usopp, remember?! Hah hah hah!"

"Usopp," said the startled reindeer, growing all the more nervous at his sudden outburst. "The _helm._"

"Oh, right." He clutched onto it tightly, giving an uneasy laugh himself. "Storm, yes. Hmm." Usopp was quiet for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought. What _could _two people do in the event of a storm? And what of Chopper, who couldn't swim? Usopp wasn't sure if he could look after both the ship _and _the doctor. The more he thought about it, the more his mind drew a blank. The story-teller had always been best at improvising, both at the tales he told and his tactics used in a desperate crisis.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," he finally answered. "There's no use in worrying about it now." Which was true, Usopp told himself. Even if that piece of well-worn advice proved useless to the born and bred fretters of the world.

Chopper had nothing to say to this, although his eyes seemed burdened with troubled feelings that remained unchanged. Realizing this, Usopp forced a smile for him. "Hey, let's not talk about this anymore, okay?"

Placing the sandwiches onto a plate, the doctor gave his comrade a look of mild amazement. "Talk…about something else?'

"Y-yeah," answered Usopp, his smile never fading. "Like cheese. I find that to be a very fascinating subject. Don't you?" 

Chopper suddenly seemed taken aback. "Cheese?" he asked incredulously. Wondering if he had simply misheard, he repeated himself. "_Cheese,_ Usopp?"

"Yes," he answered seriously. "Cheese. Cheese is very important to the structure and balance of our society. You'd be surprised!"

Chopper's shocked face seemed to melt into a look of wonder. "Really?"

"Yes. In fact, I once found a country that was totally lacking in cheese. A cheese famine." The long nosed man gave a tragic sigh. "Everything was _such_ a mess. The princess offered me all of the palace's riches if I could only restore the cheese to the land. Naturally, I accepted her request and I began my long and hard adventure…"

Transfixed by this new and bizarre story, Chopper, plate in hand, slowly ambled his way over to the table beside the helm. He soaked up every word, occasionally interjecting his own exclamations of delighted commentary. 

Contrary to what others might have thought, distractions often proved to be quite useful. 

***

He was practically seething at the sight before him, and his nails dug their way into the bark of the tree he was hiding behind. 

_What is that _wretched_ boy doing _awake_ like that?! _Taking a shuddering breath, his mind furiously raced._ Even _with _the Quietus Miraculum, he shouldn't have even begun to rouse until morning! _

Sure enough, Monkey D. Luffy himself was sitting placidly at the entrance of the cave, a drowsy expression gracing his scarred face as late night began to settle upon the island. _He looks as if he's on some sort of bloody _picnic _or something! _The hunter grinded his teeth together, eyebrows furrowing. 

Too late, Raffles admitted to himself that he had been a bit too eager to show off his absolutely, positively _amazing _botanist skills to that worthless swordsman. He doubted the dolt had even appreciated his talents properly. If he'd known that the straw hat boy was going to be awake upon his return, he would have at _least _used his devil fruit powers in order to hide himself throughout his small hike to Luffy's cave.

To think he had almost been _seen! _He scowled at both his own folly in becoming too cocky and the dreadful fact that _he _was awake now because of it. 

_I should have just killed him when I had the chance. _He rubbed at his temples in deep thought as his monocled eye squinted at the rubber pirate. _But it's useless to dwell upon the past now. _However, his mind suddenly began to take a different path in thinking and it wasn't long untila sly smile crept its way onto his face. He would just have to find a different approach.

Opening open his beige vest, he silently noted the three knives that hung on the inside of it. Scanning the roll of wire that bulged out of his inside pockets, he decided that he more than likely had enough materials to suit his needs. 

He knew that if he truly had the inclination, he could just slip over to the pirate unseen and swiftly stab him in the back -- or the chest, depending upon his mood. As if pondering this notion, his index finger stroked the hilt of one of the knives, his eyes carrying a sinister glint to them. 

But where was the fun in _that? _Where was the luring power of the bait? Or the gratifying satisfaction in deceiving a lesser creature? A plan _without _these elements was rather anti-climatic, in his not so humble opinion. Even poisoning someone sounded far more interesting than a mere stab in the back. Besides, such a deed sounded too barbaric for his own intellectually superior mind. 

He _craved_ for the soft creeping in the dark, the perfectly calculated place for the snare and the sudden element of surprise that would bring about the end of another dominated animal. After all, that's all that this sleepy, oblivious man before him truly was -- an animal. All men were animals. Except for himself, of course. 

The botanist was confident that he could pull the same trick that he used against that unfortunate Zoro. It would just prove his theory that animals who flocked together were exactly alike. And so, closing his vest, he put upon his brightest, most winning smile and left the safety of the trees. 

"Hello there!" 

Abruptly, Luffy snorted awake. "--Mnff, Zoro?" A sick sparkle passed through Raffle's arrogant eyes. It was fleeting, however, and disappeared before it was noticed.

"Excuse me?" the older man politely asked, now standing mere feet from the captain. "I'm afraid I do not understand you, dear sir."

Squinting for a moment, Luffy surveyed the stranger. "Hey, _you're _not Zoro," he observed. 

"I never claimed to be," replied Raffles, carefully masking his irritation. Luffy watched him for a few moments before settling himself onto his back and tilting his straw hat over his eyes.

"Okay then."

The hunter's eyebrow twitched. _Okay? _"Ah, actually, my name is Sir William Raffles III."

"Really?" Luffy tilted his hat up barely enough to look at the other man. 

"I see you've heard of me," stated Raffles, a pleased grin appearing upon his face.

The dark haired fellow blinked. "Nope. Never." A brief, awkward pause on the hunter's part. "Say, have you see Zoro?"

"I can't say that I have," growled Raffles, feeling rather thrown off by the pirate's unusual demeanor. 

"But you don't even know what Zoro looks like, right?" spoke Luffy, his curious eyes now totally peering up at him. "So, how can you say that for sure?" Sitting up now, he leaned forward with long arms dangling about his drawn up knees. "There's something funny about you, mister." He grinned. "Your name's, um, Raffies? Rabies?" Luffy slowly rubbed his chin. "Rabbles?" His eyes furrowed. "Raccoons?"

"Raffles," replied the now disgruntled fellow. "Sir _William Raffles _III."

"Oh!" laughed the captain, now scratching the back of his head. "Why didn't you say so?"

"--I _did._"

Unbothered, the dark haired boy stared at the huntsman for a moment. "So, what do you want, mister?" he asked after a moment, carrying a friendly tone in his voice.

"Ah, um, yes." Repressing a frustrated sigh, Raffles silently cursed at the wanted pirate for throwing him off his original train of thought. He cleared his throat. "Although you might not have heard of me, I'm a very famous hunter and botanist. And--"

"What's a botanist?" blurted Luffy.

"Someone who works with plants. As I was saying--"

"What _kind _of plants?"

"--Will you _stop interrupting me?!_"

Luffy blinked. "Okay."

"Right." Running a vaguely shaking hand through his light colored hair, Raffles momentarily closed his eyes. "I'll get straight to the point. I'm looking for a blue monster who lives on this island. You _have_ seen it, right?" Upon being asked the question, Luffy's eyes immediately lit up.

"Sure I have!" The teen swiftly nodded. "He's really fun to play with!"

Raffles gave an inward smirk of satisfaction. "Since I'm a hunter, I'd like you to help me capture him." A brief pause. "You _can_ do that, can't you?"

"Well, sure!" laughed Luffy, clapping his feet together playfully. "I guess you're hungry, too, right?"

"Hungry?" sputtered the hunter, laughing also at what he perceived to be the boy's stupidity. "Oh, no. I wish to put it in a _big _museum, where the uneducated masses of the world can come and gawk at him." He sighed wistfully. "The exhibit would have _my _name on it!" 

"Exhibit?" Luffy asked, apparently confused. "Why would you kill him just to do that?" He shook his head. "I like the monster too much to kill him and put him on _display_." The hunter's smile lightly faded. 

"Ah, sir, you _are _kidding, yes?"

"No," said Luffy as he tilted his head. "Why did you think I was kidding?"

Raffles narrowed his eyes at this strange case. "So does that mean you…_can't_ hunt?" he inquired, trying to probe him into a different direction of thought.

The pirate shrugged. "I could," he said. "I just don't want to if you're going to put Mr. Monster on display."

_Alright then. _William Raffles grinded his teeth together once more, barely keeping his lip from curling. _New plan. _

"Would you like to play a _game _then?" he asked Luffy, keeping a light air in his tone. At this, Luffy's eyes lit up once more and he gave his trademark smile.

"A _game?_" He stood up abruptly, excitement glistening in his eyes. "Ooh, what kind of game?"

Surprised, but still pleased, Raffles briefly paused. 

"Hide and Seek," he slyly answered after a moment. "Except the rules are a _little_ different." This seemed to increase Luffy's anticipation further and the hunter went on. "This time, instead of running the risk of being 'it' -- you'll run the risk of allowing _me _to catch that monster." The older man smiled charismatically. "Do you follow?"

Luffy blinked. "No. Not really."

At this, Raffles softly chuckled. "Well, let me put it _this _way. I'm going to be 'it' -- the hunter. You may use whatever you want to prevent me from catching you."

Nodding, the rubber pirate asked: "Even my devil fruit powers?"

Raffles briefly paused, and he knew that it would simply make things more complicated for the talkative boy if he pretended he didn't know about his ability to stretch like rubber. So, for the sake of getting to the point, he agreed. "Yes, those too." He smiled as he said those words. "And, in turn, I can use whatever _I _want to catch _you. _Including _my _devil fruit powers." 

The lanky boy was taken by astonishment, and his mouth hung open. "_You_ have devil fruit powers, too?"

"Indeed." Luffy's new opponent stretched out his arm. The boy gave a cry of amazement as the hairy limb slowly began to _disappear. _"I consumed the _Kamen Kamen[3] _fruit. As a result, I can completely blend in with my surroundings at will. Nice, eh?" His cold eyes settled upon an amazed Luffy. "Especially for a 'game' like this one."

The boyish pirate was quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "Well, that sounds pretty fair to me. I can use my powers, and you can use yours."

"Of course!" Raffle clasped his hands together, his sly smile still in place. "And if you can outsmart me and win, I won't touch the monster at all -- _and_ I'll leave _you_ alone, too."

"Okay!" To Luffy, this _completely_ sounded like a fine game and it showed upon his expressively childlike face.

"But if you _lose,_" said the hunting botanist while raising a partially vanished index finger, "I get to keep the monster _and _you for myself. Do you understand?"

Luffy was quiet for a serious moment, his eyes boring into the man before him. His eyebrows furrowed, and he suddenly appeared far more mature and older than he came across. Raffles became nervous that he'd caught onto something, would refuse and try to kill him on the spot. But then, the pirate spoke and put his anxiety at ease. 

"Okay, if you promise that you won't touch the monster when I win."

Raffles grinned, holes glaring from his teeth. "Deal."

_______________________

[3] - _Kamen - _mask  


**__**

Author's Notes: For those who didn't get the little jibe about Sanji in the last chapter, it was in reference to a comment he made in volume 24 about beautiful women and dead bodies going well together. XP

-- oh, and I have to wish Usopp a happy birthday. Because I can. ^_^  


And a **big thanks **for all of the feedback I've received so far! I don't know if I could have gotten this far without all the encouragement. Thanks again!  
  
  



	11. Reunion and Separation

Struggling to keep himself from wheezing as he ran, Roronoa Zoro couldn't help but feel aggravated by the endless tunnels that he now cursed within his mind. No matter where he turned, no matter where he ran, it seemed as if he was no closer to an exit than he had been when he first started. In an attempt to locate an opening, he had tried to pause and listen for the soft drafts that would occasionally flitter by, but he would simply burst into another vigorous sprint and lose his discovered direction within moments. Not only that, but he simply didn't want to take the precious time to put caution into following those breezes like he'd done the last time he'd been lost in a tunnel -- because that time he'd had Luffy at his side and nothing had been at stake like it was now.

It was also difficult to see. Thick darkness hung about him as if it were trying to suffocate his very senses. Granted, he could still hear the soft _drip drip _of moisture that clung desperately to the ceiling before it fell into the numerous puddles that were littered across the rough ground. He could still feel the light chill that nipped at his exposed skin, too -- a disadvantage that came with giving up one's shirt -- but he wasn't bleeding as bad as he had been before. That was always a good thing.

He just wished he could _see. _The fact that it was well into the night did nothing to help him locate an exit. He and Luffy had just been fortunate during their previous encounter with the complex network, when they at least had the aid of some daylight.

_Luffy…_

Had Raffles found him by now? And what about his captain's condition? Had the Quietus Miraculum really been a cure? Or had it simply succeeded in snuffing out what was left of his life? 

Suddenly, he felt his speeding body slam into an unseen, jagged wall, and he stumbled backwards, surreal stars bursting through his very eyes. The ringing that had plagued his ears earlier came back again, sending his hands to shield his temples.

"Dead end," he managed grimly, his body briefly leaning against the cruel blockade. It only took a few moments for the ringing to subside, and he forced the stars to vanish in turn. 

Realizing that he'd have to retrace his invisible tracks, anger flared up within his gut and his stomach wrenched itself into a tight knot. He had always known that his sense of direction was poor, but now it seemed like that and every other disadvantage imaginable were stacked against him. He almost kicked a nearby boulder out of overwhelming frustration, but he caught himself just in time when he heard something that was foreign and unfamiliar to those miserable tunnels.

Footsteps.

Immediately, his mind turned to the worst. _It's_ _Raffles. _

Slowly, his dark, searching eyes wandered over to the way where he had come from. Indeed, there was the sound of footsteps coming towards him. At this revelation, the rest of his body went still to the point where he was hardly breathing -- an attempt to keep himself unheard. Then, stealthily, he made his way forward and made sure not to make even the slightest noise. Not even carrying an ounce of uncertainty with him, Zoro's hand slowly made its way to one of his trusty swords. A soft grin made its way onto his face, in spite of his injuries, and he knew that he had to at least try to bring down his foe.

It was then that he noticed there were _two _pair of footsteps. _He brought a friend, maybe? _The swordsman's eyebrows furrowed. _Or maybe he actually has Luffy with him, and he's trying to trick him like he did me. _His hand tightened upon the sword. He wasn't going to allow anything of the sort.

He could barely see the intersection that rested before him light up with the distant glow of what could have only been the light of a crude torch, and the soft crackling of a lit fire reached his ears. Knowing full and well that he couldn't allow himself to be seen by the enemy before attacking (lest the mysterious invisibility power could be used against him), he decided that he would make the first move and take his foe by surprise. 

Like the current of a speeding river, he dashed out into the lit up passageway as he withdrew his swords and swiftly placed one of them within his mouth.

The _last _thing he expected was the shrill scream of a _woman._

As such, he was momentarily thrown off guard and was greeted by something else of surprise -- a swift kick to an already injured gut that sent him hurling back into the ground and sliding for several feet. A choked noise left his constricted throat, and he could vaguely taste the metallic tang of what could have only been blood. As he swiftly moved to attack and defend himself, ignoring what he felt were broken ribs, a familiar, horrified cry shook him out of his mood for battle.

"Zoro, is that _you?!" _

Immediately, the green haired man's teeth clenched with light bewilderment. Squinting through the dim light of his surroundings, he felt his chest give a momentary jolt of surprise at what he found not even ten feet away. 

"Ehh, _Nami?_" A brief pause. "_Sanji?!_" Upon seeing the latter, the swordsman hauled himself up from the ground. "What'd you go _kick _me for, idiot?! I ought to tearyou to shreds--"

Suddenly stepping clearer into the limited lighting of Nami's torch, Sanji clenched his fists with visible anger. "Me?! You were the one who attacked us first! How was I supposed to know it was _you?!_" 

Lightly leaning against the cave wall now from fatigue and physical hurt, Zoro waved a hand of dismissal at the cook. "Agh, just forget it! Arguing with _you _about anything isn't even worthit right now. I don't wanna waste my time _or _breath."

Somewhat taken aback by this new response, not aware of the circumstances surrounding the statement, Sanji was left with nothing to say. Instead, he lit his cigarette, allowing the glow of its tip to illuminate his face, and took a deep drag from it. "Whatever. It's not like it's important in comparison to the lovely Nami-san's protection." 

The orange haired navigator, on the other hand, registered a faintly relieved smile upon her face. She knew that Zoro and Sanji were glad to see one another, as most comrades are after being separated for any sort of duration, even if they weren't entirely willing to show it. Suddenly, however, her eyebrows furrowed. "ZORO!" she bellowed, her own fists clenching as she resolutely began to march towards him. "You _scared _me half to death! Why did you come jumping out of nowhere like you were going to kill us?!"

Zoro's eyes flashed over to the girl, and his shoulders seemed to tense. "I don't feel like arguing with you, either, although I'm glad to see that you've _finally_ found us--"

"_Ew!_" Gagging, Nami's hands flew to her nose. "When was the last time you _bathed?!_ You smell awful!" Eyebrow twitching suddenly, Zoro scowled at the navigator.

"Bathing?" he asked, almost incredulously. "_Bathing? _Did you honestly expect me to think about something like getting a _bath _at a time like--"

"--please don't tell me Luffy smells like that, too--"

Upon hearing his captain's name, Zoro's eyes suddenly widened. "Luffy--" he breathed, and dashed forward, shoving Nami and Sanji out of the way. "I've gotta get out of these stupid tunnels--!" 

"Wait!" shrieked Nami, confusion at the bizarre situation melding with disgust from the rancid smell. "Zoro! You're _going the wrong way!" _With torch in hand, she swiftly darted after him, both irritation and concern deeply lining her face.

"Ahhh, Nami-swaaan!" Sanji skipped after the girl, eager to catch up with her. "Wait for meee…!"

It was only a matter of time before their collective racket of echoes and shouts faded into the distance known as outside.

*** 

An exhausted sigh pierced the silent, softly lit kitchen aboard the _Going Merry. _"Usopp…"

Face dragging with an obvious effort, the curly haired man languidly regarded his smaller companion from in front of the helm. "Eh?"

"Tell me about the _cheese _again, Usopp," was the simple request. The story teller gave a heavy sigh as his eyes wandered over to one of the portholes that glowed with some of the abundant moonlight. 

"I've told you about it _five _times, Chopper." The handyman looked over at the reindeer before giving a weary grin. "Wouldn't you rather hear about something else? Maybe about the Skunk of Doom?"

"Actually," answered Chopper as his own eyes lingered over to the door. "I wish we could go ahead and find everyone, but…"

"You're thinking you'll have to settle for the cheese story instead, eh?" Usopp was right in thinking that his latest (all 100% true) story would give a temporary distraction, but he hadn't predicted that Chopper would readily cling on to it for dear life. He was happy to oblige, though he wondered if it would be better if someone took the crow's nest. "How about steering?" he asked instead.

Nodding, Chopper hopped off from the bench and -- after slipping into his larger form -- took the helm from Usopp. "What're you going to be doing?" the reindeer curiously asked. 

Grinning, Usopp made a grand gesture towards himself. "I will watch out for whatever danger shall come our way!" That was the wrong answer, the notorious liar noted belatedly and Chopper suddenly looked panicky. "I mean, ah, I'll be looking for the _crew. _Yeah." He gave a swift nod. "The crew."

"All right," answered Chopper, although he still looked a bit uneasy. "Be careful, okay, Usopp?" A brief, anxious pause. "I don't know what I'd do if something terrible happened to you, too."

For a moment, Usopp was at a loss for words but it wasn't long before he managed a hearty laugh for humor's sake. "Don't be silly!" He gave a light wave of his hand. "Of course I'll be fine!"

In turn, Chopper gave a half-hearted smile and he silently focused his attention upon the helm, still giving off an aura of uneasiness. Usopp regarded the reindeer with a friendly pat on the shoulder and told him that he'd check in later. With that, he turned and left the kitchen, making his way to the crow's nest.

Deep down, however, Usopp wondered when they would have to abandon the rescue plan initially created by a fire-eyed Nami. The realistic side of his mind harshly told him that it was silly to search for four people who disappeared at different times -- and into the ocean no less! _It's like finding a needle in a hay stack…_

On the other hand, the timidly adventurous part of his soul meekly asked: _"_But what would _Luffy _do?" Why, he'd keep on searching until he either found what he was looking for or died. And although the title had its burdens and complications, Usopp truly felt that - for now, at least - he was in the role that he had always dreamed of becoming: The Captain. _He _was responsible for the ship. _He _alone was responsible for the crew. Which meant that _he _was responsible for finding them.

Usopp gulped, and his shoulders suddenly felt heavy as he made his agonizingly slow climb up to the crow's nest.

***

Like a firm statue, he stood amidst the clearing, bathed with the sheer, silvery moonlight that flittered from the dark sky above. Luffy's wide, curious eyes remained fastened onto the moon as he silently played his own game of hurry up and wait. Hide and Seek, he had been told, was not to commence until the moon shifted to where it was just above the mountain's peek. It hadn't occurred to him to wander off from the cave to make preparations -- he just wanted the game to go ahead and start. And that wasn't going to happen until the moon went where it was supposed to go. So, naturally he was going to stay right where he was until that silly moon hurried up and took its seat above the mountain peek.

He wished it would hurry up.

Suddenly, however, his ears picked up a speedy rustling from the trees and he sharply looked over at the source. Had the game begun _already? _

He crouched as one hand firmly pressed his hat onto his head. A grin quickly spread across his face as his eyes remained glued upon the area that the frantic noise was coming from. It was so much fun when he didn't know what to expect!

_Whoosh!_

Large and menacing, a strong figure barreled from the trees and into the clearing, and Luffy was mildly surprised to see three gleaming swords being wielded by the newcomer. He recognized the dark bandana that was tied upon the fellow's head, and the rubber pirate's look of mild puzzlement melted into a thrilled beam. 

"Yo, Zoro!" he called while standing up completely to let himself be known. "I've been waiting forever! Did you catch any food?" He blinked and frowned lightly. "Is that blood on you?"

His first mate didn't answer him right away, but continued keeping his guard up instead. Fierce eyes abruptly shot over to the captain, and a hint of surprise flickered through them before the searing look saved only for battle overtook those dark orbs once more. 

It was then that Luffy knew something was wrong. 

"Where _is he?_" the poisonous hiss left Zoro's throat, and Luffy gave the green haired man a disconcerted look. 

"Where's who_, _Zoro?" There was a brief, confused pause before Luffy grinned. "Oh! You mean _Rabbles?_"

As soon as the question was spoken, Zoro seemed compelled by a driving force that urged him to take a step towards Luffy. "Raffles! He _spoke _to you!? What'd he say?!"

The dark haired boy, on the other hand, furrowed his eyebrows at his companion. "Zoro, it's just you and me here. There's no reason for you to have your swords out." He made fists at the man and said seriously, "Unless you wanna fight for some reason."

"No, that's not _it, _Luffy!" Zoro was beginning to appear more and more irritated by the moment. "Will you just tell me what he said to you?"

"Oh!" The captain's fists fell to his side and he laughed. "He wanted to play a game with me!"

To Zoro, this wasn't a laughing matter at all. "What kind of game?" he prodded.

"Ooh, it's Hide and Seek!" Luffy rubbed his chin for a moment. "Though the rules _are _kinda different. We both get to use our devil fruit powers."

The swordsman's eyebrows shot up and he almost lowered his swords out of surprise. "So you _know _he's an invisible little--?!"

Just then, two _more _figures burst out of the plant life that rested behind Zoro -- Luffy gave a cheery wave.

"Yo! Sanji! Nami!" he laughed, much less troubled than Zoro happened to be at that moment. "Long time no see!"

As the chef gave a casual wave, Nami scowled at the swordsman. "Zoro!" she exclaimed, quite displeased. "Will just you take a minute to explain what's going on around here?!"

"Will you shut up for a second?!" snapped Zoro, to which Sanji gave a shout of indignation.

"How _dare _you speak to Nami-san that way--"

Zoro growled at the blond. "_Me?! _I think comparing me to a pair of smelly socks is a lot more offensive than--"

"Quit putting words into my mouth!" came Nami's sharp reply.

"What? But that's _exactly _what you said--"

Luffy blinked as he watched the trio engage in the fierce verbal battle. Slowly, his eyes traveled up to the mountain peak -- his face lit up when he realized that the moon was hovering right above the designated place! 

It had begun.

Looking over at his friends, he gave a slight, apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys, but I gotta go." All arguing ceased, and Zoro quickly looked over at his captain. 

"Do you want us to come with you?" The question was simple and honest, but it wasn't forceful by any means.

"Nah, it was supposed to be just between me and him," Luffy replied. "Thanks for the offer, though."

Accepting of the younger fellow's will, Zoro managed a grin, albeit a tiny one. "All right then, Captain. What do you want us to do instead?"

Luffy thought for a moment before answering. "Whatever you want, really. Except interrupting our game. Maybe you could hunt some more?"

"Luffy, there isn't really a whole lot _to _hunt--"

"Okay, then! Stay here and we'll go fishing together once I win, okay?" And with that, the rubber pirate sprinted into the darkness that had invaded the forest and disappeared without a trace. Zoro silently watched him as he reluctantly put away his swords. He grimaced when he realized that Luffy had run off with his shirt, but he figured it was useless to say anything at that point.

"I still don't understand what's going on," said Nami, a tad softer this time. "Will you explain it to me _now_?"

The swordsman was silent for a moment before looking at both the chef and the orange haired girl. "Yeah, sure, whatever." With that, he strode back into his original cave, two expecting companions accompanying him. "I guess I should start from the beginning…"

An eerie wind blew across the island, however, as a satisfied looking man stood atop a certain mountain's edge. A sly smile crept across his stubbly face, and he calmly adjusted his monocle while surveying the lush playground that rested before him.

_Let the games begin._


	12. The Wait and the Lunge

"So, let me get this straight," spoke Nami, staring out of the cave's mouth from her resting place beneath the chilly shelter. "There's a monster that lives on this island, and you're thinking that it's the only creature here."

"Right," was Zoro's gruff response.

"And we're the only _people_ here -- except this Raffles guy." A pause. "Who's…invisible?"

"Yeah."

"And _he's_ after the monster you mentioned earlier. In addition, he wants Luffy's head so he can get a pardon from the government." Nami lightly rubbed her chin with a feminine finger, her eyebrows furrowing somewhat. "I guess it's safe to say that he's a wanted criminal. Probably got in trouble for illegal hunting. The fact that he's going after a rare animal like that monster should say enough."

"Ahh, Nami-san is so _smart!_" chimed in Sanji, who was relaxing near the navigator. Zoro threw a searing glare at the chef, which was met with an equally burning glower.

Ignoring the two, Nami frowned lightly and said, "So Luffy is playing a 'game' with Raffles. And he seemed to know about the invisibility thing when you talked to him, right, Zoro?"

"Yes."

"And we don't know why Luffy accepted," sighed the girl, running a hand through her orange hair. "And most importantly, _I _don't understand why _you _let him go like that!" Her dark eyes darted over to Zoro, narrowed with a scrutiny of sorts.

The green-haired man blinked suddenly and looked over at Nami. "What?" he said. "What was I supposed to do?"

"You should have stopped him," admonished Nami. "What were you thinking? Just letting him go like that! Without even a clear explanation of why he was leaving to begin with!"

Zoro was offended. "Playing a game was a clear enough explanation for me." His own eyes closed as he leaned against the wall, arms folding over his chest._ "_Even if I didn't have a clear explanation, I still trust the captain."

The last statement hung within the cave's cold, night air for a few moments.

"Why, you--" Sanji sputtered. "Nami-san is only trying to help. She--"

Nami sighed. "No, he has a point, Sanji-kun." Her eyes shifted over to the dimly lit clearing, a soft frown tugging at her lips. "We should all have a little bit more faith in Luffy. He hasn't done anything to deserve different."

Sanji was silent for a moment before he took a deep drag from his cigarette, the curling smoke lazily making its way through the air. A light smile allowed itself to appear on Zoro's face before he completely lowered himself onto the ground. Nami interrupted his silent gloat in victory, however.

"That still doesn't excuse _you _from not stopping Luffy, stupid."

"What?!" Zoro gawked at the woman.

"You heard me!" And before the swordsman knew it, Sanji had chipped in with his own scolding in an effort to aide the navigator.

"Will the both of you just shut up?" hissed Zoro. "I did my best. If that isn't good enough for you, then tough." The man rolled over onto his side. "I'm goin' to sleep." Nami knew that sleep was last thing on his mind, however, and her lips pressed into a thin line.

Her voice cut through the silence. "Those injuries of yours don't look so good." The swordsman snorted.

"It's no big deal. I'm fine."

The navigator rolled her eyes. "I shouldn't have expected any different from you." She paused and regarded him sincerely for a moment. "You could at least let me look at them."

"I _said _I was fine."

"What are you talking about?" She incredulously gestured at the shirtless man, dried blood crusting along his dark scars and in his green hair. Despite the darkness, she could already see the splotchy bruises that were beginning to take form. Nami didn't even want to think about whether there were any broken bones. "Zoro, you're a mess!"

"I've seen worse."

"So?! That doesn't make it any less of a problem!"

Zoro's eyes flew open, and he suddenly looked over at Nami. "It's not important,_" _he snapped. "Leave me alone."

Suddenly, however, a black shoe came down upon the swordsman's chest and threw him completely back onto the ground, pinning him the process. "Nami-san is nice enough to show concern for you," Sanji coolly added, blowing another trail of smoke from his mouth. Zoro's eyes flashed, but he was interrupted before he could even speak. "The leastyou could do -- aside from worshipping her -- is let her look you over." A silly smile overtook his features, and he gazed over at the navigator. "Ahh, and while you're at it, I think I'm injured too, Nami-san! Could you, ah, _look me over_? Please?"

Trying to drown out Sanji's incessant begging and Zoro's escalating squabbling, Nami rubbed at her aching temples.

The sooner they were able to leave, the better.

* * *

Aside from tag, hide n' seek had to be one of the easiest games in existence. All Luffy ever had to do was either go hide in hopes of not being found or look for anyone who was hiding. Plain and simple -- just how he liked it.

In fact, there were several places he enjoyed hiding in. Take the kitchen pantry for example. When it wasn't locked by Sanji, he could hide from the seeker _and _eat snacks at the same time! The idea was nothing short of brilliant, and he inwardly thanked Usopp for the suggestion every time he took refuge there. Unfortunately, there were no kitchen pantries on the island, and Luffy was beginning to wonder where he should go.

He knew the darkness of the night was to his advantage, since that would simply make it difficult for Raffles to see clearly. However, it was also difficult for Luffy to locate a suitable hiding place. It wasn't uncommon for him to hide somewhere on a whim -- generally because it looked like a fun place to sit or it seemed to be an unusual area. This time, however, he felt the weight of a slightly heavier wage other than running the risk of being "it."

He paused in his walking for a moment and took the time to gaze up into some of the dark, looming trees around him. Realizing that they held some promise, he threw his rubber arm up into the branches and pulled himself up onto a swaying perch. The tree vaguely shook in protest, and a few stray leaves fell upon the brim of the boy's straw hat.

After settling himself securely atop a sturdy branch, he stared out into the eerily quiet forest that surrounded him. He wondered how long it would take for Raffles to give up looking for him. In honest truth, he didn't think a tree was _that _good of a hiding place. But it was outside, and there were a lot of trees for Raffles to look through. He grinned, and he decided that he would hide in the caves if the current situation became too boring.

As he rested there, his mind eventually drifted to his comrades. He was so glad that Nami and Sanji had finally found their way to the island. Briefly, he wondered if Usopp and Chopper were there too. If that were indeed the case, then it would only be a matter of time before he could actually eat a juicy piece of _steak! _The pirate's tummy rumbled at the thought of food, and Luffy inwardly hoped that it wouldn't be loud enough to give away his hiding place. He shrugged to himself, though. If it did, he'd just find another.

Closing his eyes, he gave a mighty yawn and settled within what had become his cradle of branches and leaves. It wasn't long before soft snores comfortably emitted from his throat.

* * *

Usopp practically shook with excitement, as he suddenly leaned forward within the crow's nest. He adjusted his goggles to zoom in within the dark ocean, and he was confident of what he saw.

"Oi!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Chopper! I see land!"

The kitchen door burst open, and the reindeer scurried out onto the deck. "Really?!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright with a sort of relief. "Are you sure?!" The doctor held his breath with anticipation, and he bit down on his lower lip as he waited for his friend's response.

"Uh-huh!" affirmed Usopp, now using a telescope to focus on what he saw. "Seems like it has a lot of trees on it. And a mountain in the center!"

Chopper let out his breath, lungs pleasantly burning, and laughed. "That's great!"

Usopp joined the doctor with his own hoot of joy, but paused as soon as a thought struck him. He called out, his voice holding a nervous edge. "H-hey, aren't you supposed to be, you know, steering?"

The reindeer was mortified. "A-ah! I'm sorry!" And with that, he dashed back into the kitchen, the door slamming shut behind him.

Sighing, Usopp stared up at the sky with a soft grin. His eyes were glued to the clouds, as a hefty weight hung at the back of his mind. His smile faded. _What if this isn't the right island? _Although he had put on a bright, yellow poncho, it hadn't even started raining yet. _Why is this time different? _Maybe they really were at the wrong island. But he mentally kicked his mind into a more optimistic direction.

"The weather just changed for _us_, that's all!" he laughed aloud, his voice barely trembling. "In fact, I'll bet anything that The Great Captain Usopp scared that storm away!" His arms folded over his chest. "That's right, Storm! You can't resist my almighty power!" Thrusting a finger at the sky, he guffawed. "I _dare _you to come against me, you little--"

"Usopp," came Chopper's feeble cry from within the kitchen. "You're making me nervous!"

"There's no need to fear!" exclaimed the sharpshooter. "Forward, Chopper! Forward!"

"F-_forward!_"

And then, soft droplets of rain began to fall. As did Usopp's triumphant expression. Then the winds began to pick up speed. The clouds, a sharp charcoal color, billowed madly in the sky. As the winds suddenly raged without an apparent direction, Usopp realized that he and Chopper would not reach their destination without a fight.

"But of course!" The sniper folded sun-baked arms over his thin chest. "It wouldn't be any sort of adventure without some obstacle!" The long-nosed man laughed out loud, although he knew Chopper would barely be able to hear him from his steering post in the kitchen due to the sudden torrent that billowed around them.

Thunder began to rumble, and a streak of lighting ripped through the sky. Waves crashed against the Going Merry's side, shoving her to and fro in an attempt to tip her over. Deep down, Usopp had been ready for this moment. Nami's beloved orange trees were covered and protected, and all loose equipment on deck had been properly tended to. But, despite all of his careful preparations, the sniper's knees trembled.

_At least Chopper's inside, _he told himself. It was of the highest priority to keep Chopper out of the churning sea water. If the doctor were to fall overboard, Usopp knew with a grim surety that it would be near impossible to rescue him without abandoning the ship first. This was obviously unacceptable, for a ship with no crew was a doomed ship indeed.

A lurch shook the man out of his thoughts, and he tightly gripped onto the rail of the tall crow's nest. With furrowed brows, he decided to move to the actual deck in order to try and reduce his chance of getting struck by lightning. Soaking wet by now, he carefully made his way towards a hopefully safer place via the ladder that trailed down to the deck. His knees continued to tremble; his knuckles were white. But resolve glimmered in his stinging eyes, and he cast a longing gaze over to the dark island that loomed in the distance.

_Will we make it?_

* * *

Sir William Raffles III looked up at the sky as a sudden shower of rainwater began to peck at his tanned skin. Pausing from where he crouched upon the forest floor, his eyes narrowed. _It looks as though we have more visitors._

The huntsman immediately looked towards the mountain, but he saw no unusual activity about its summit. "The Blue-Tailed Fisher isn't roaming about this time," he murmured under his breath. "Has it already gone out to sea?" Pausing for a moment, he decided it didn't matter anyway. The creature would return soon enough. And with that, he shifted his attention back to his latest discovery - a trail of footprints that had been engraved into the moist dirt beneath the botanist's gaze.

_What an idiot, _he inwardly cackled when he realized that the markings belonged to a certain, flip-flop clad man. _Not even bothering to cover up his own footprints. _Experience in hunting told him that he had better hurry or else he risked losing his clue to the eroding properties of harshly falling rain. The hunter barely took time to brush his wet, light-colored bangs from his eyes before he swiftly and stealthily made his way alongside the path that his prey had made. The older man's eyes and body had grown adjusted to the dark nights of the island long ago -- heaven only knew how many months he had spent there, searching every nook and cranny for that blasted monster.

He knew the island like the back of his hand, and he intended to use that to his advantage. _That straw-hat boy hardly stands a chance…_

The path of footprints continued to wind through the trees -- along the way, he saw snapped twigs and crushed leaves. More signs of someone having been through the area. He almost wanted to laugh out loud with glee, but knew that something so idiotic would give away his position.

Finally, the trail ended at a particular tree. Having carefully crouched down, Raffles gazed up at the ancient, looming, potential hiding place. Its branches stretched out into all sorts of directions, and a satisfied smile lit up his rough face. Squinting, he knew he saw something resting amidst its branches. A large something. A large _lump_ of something.

_Undoubtedly a person in hiding. _He rolled his eyes at his prey's stupidity, and allowed his power to take affect. His whole body suddenly blended with its surroundings, to the point that the hunter couldn't even tell where his own being began and ended. Inwardly laughing, he gripped onto the bark of the tree and began to haul himself up towards the branches and what they were hiding. Although the tree shook, it would have been easy for an unsuspecting person to attribute it to the fierce winds that were running through the forest.

When Raffles finally reached a stable perch for himself to ease onto, he immediately located the lump towards the other side of the tree. He already had one of three knives in hand. Like a spider rushing across its web to devour a helpless fly, the hunter sped from one branch to another. The tree furiously shook, as if trying to dump the intruder onto the ground, but Raffles beamed when his boot collided onto the branch that rested behind his victim.

He gripped onto the knife's hilt, raised it, and plunged it into his kill.

A scream sounded through the island, shrouded by night's darkness and the violent storm that raged within it.


	13. Hiding and Falling

Raffles screamed again, his other fist pounding against the medium-sized boulder that was nestled in the cradle of branches. "The fool mocks me!" Gray eyes stared down at his knife in horror; the weapon had been severely cracked! "Why, oh, _why _did I buy those _cheaper_ knives in Loguetown?!" The horrible pain of losing his prey only made the situation ten times worse. Furiously, he impelled his fist at the offensive rock-hard replacement he had found, only to regret the bruised knuckle it produced.

Grudgingly, he inspected the boulder closer as he rubbed his aching hand. "How could he get something like this up here, though?" he murmured crossly under his breath. The only explanation he could supply himself with was that the boy's rubber-like flexibility enabled him to bring it up into the tree somehow. Raffles paused as he rubbed his chin's stubble with a rough thumb. "But why…?"

Powder, smeared across the rock from both his beatings and the rainwater, gave him the answer. Upon closer study, the hunter discovered that the powder was actually the residue from some sort of chalk that was abundant upon the island's mountain. "And, look! There seems to be some sort of message…" He peered closer, squinting through the dark and messily scrawled handwriting. _Better…luck…next time…?_

The botanist gritted his teeth. "The fool _purposely_ mocks me!"

And with that, he swiftly jumped from the tree and landed in the large puddle of mud. Despite the grace of a surly cat he'd acquired through years of experience, sludge spattered his white socks and beige shorts. He shrewdly gazed at the ground beneath him -- the heavy rain had ruined the crisp freshness Luffy's footprints had once possessed. In fact, the water and mud were so deep in places that the trail had been all but lost.

Throwing aside his anger (along with his ruined knife), Raffles decided to take a few minutes to think the situation out. "When it is storming outside," he muttered, "it should be instinctive for some animals - particularly one such as a human being - to take shelter." A pause, his crafty eyes narrowing. "So it's only logical that the dolt would--" The hunter's face lit up. "Ah-_hah! _I've got you now, you wretched boy!"

He dashed through the sheets of rain and towards the mountain, throwing on his cloak of disguise once more as he blended in into the trees.

* * *

Luffy sneezed as he wandered through the damp air of the mountain's caves. He paused in his walking, and turned towards the dark, distant mouth of the cavern. The distinct feeling of someone talking about him shook him for a moment, before he casually shrugged it off.

It hadn't taken him long to decide that he should go to the caves instead hanging around in that silly, old tree. First of all, despite the nap he took, it had become far too boring for the rubber pirate's taste. Sitting around on a few limbs rarely resulted in a heart-pounding, adrenaline-packed adventure. Secondly, the rain had interrupted said nap, and his precious straw hat, along with the baggy shirt Zoro had given to him, were beginning to get rather soggy. (Luffy couldn't understand why so much water had suddenly started to pour from the sky, but decided not to worry about it.) And third, the teenager figured it wouldn't be long before Raffles found him anyway. Grinning to himself, Luffy was glad he left a message informing the botanist of whether he was hot or cold on his trail. Thanks to that "chalk rock" he'd found on the mountain, of course. It pleased him that it was good for things other than drawing portraits of his crew.

For awhile, Luffy had been tempted to locate the cave that he and Zoro had been sharing. Assuming that Nami and Sanji were also there, the future pirate king had especially wanted to talk with them in an effort to find out if Chopper and Usopp were with them, where the ship was, and if he could have a piece of steak for dinner.

His eyebrows lightly furrowed as soon as he vaguely recalled that Zoro had a bit of blood on him the last time they spoke. The swordsman hadn't answered him when asked about how he had acquired his wounds. _Maybe Zoro fell and hurt himself, _Luffy mused silently. _But that really doesn't sound like the Zoro I know._

It didn't take long for the fellow's colorful imagination to create its own spectacular version of what had happened. Zoro probably had a run-in with a giant, three headed bear! Who _cared _if he had said there weren't any animals on the island? This bear was huge, so it could do whatever it felt like and be wherever it wanted. Anyway, it was very well possible that it had taken sword-fighting lessons from the amazing Mihawk, so it was only natural that it'd give Zoro a hard time. But he wasn't Luffy's first mate for nothing, and he gladly fought the new foe with infinite vigor.

The dark-haired boy nearly trembled as he created the battle within the depths of his racing mind. A slash from the bear -- a dodge from Zoro! But -- wait -- was that a bleeding gash on his shoulder? Zoro lunged, ignoring his wound, and -- and -- whapped that bear good! _Yeah! _

Luffy made a fist and cast a longing gaze out into the deep dark of the pathway before him. "I wish I could've _seen it!_" Zoro was so strong, how could he have doubted his first mate and worry about something as silly as some blood? Luffy grinned and inwardly decided to ask Zoro about what had happened as soon as his current game was over. He felt sure he wouldn't be disappointed.

A sharp roar crashed through his ears, momentarily shaking the rubber man out of his thoughts. Ground vibrating beneath his feet at the sound, Luffy abruptly looked behind himself to get a glimpse of where he was. The cave mouth was a distant speck, illuminated only by the spontaneous, dramatic flashes of lightning outside. "Still raining," he mumbled with a quirked lip. "I hope the plants are happy!" He remembered how gleeful they looked when they danced within a shower of rainwater.

In the same moment, another, quick clap of thunder sounded, and Luffy thought of how scared of storms Chopper and Usopp were. Maybe the sniper was telling the doctor an amazing tale to take their minds off of their worries. Or maybe they were running around in a frenzy, panicking. Sometimes it was difficult for Luffy to figure which one would happen. He'd seen them do both.

"I'm sure they'll be okay," he said with a bright smile before turning and wandering along his way.

* * *

The rain continued to pour onto to the mushy mud that was now layered over the clearing. Three pairs of eyes gazed out from the cave that had become their sanctuary. Minutes seemed to crawl by, playing the cruel part of what felt like an eternity. No one spoke, as a drowsy air accompanied that constant, horrible rainwater. A soft rumble echoed through the sky, perhaps giving an indication that the storm was drifting away from the island.

"I hope Usopp and Chopper are all right," sighed Nami, her eyes staring out of the cave and at nothing in particular. Her thin arms were hugging her knees to her chest, her chin resting upon them in a contemplative manner. "What kind of monster could cause all of this?"

"A lonely one," replied Zoro gruffly from behind her, leaning against the rough, damp cave wall. The blood that had once been crusted across his chest and head had been cleaned, thanks to Nami, but none of the stranded pirates had any bandages to wrap the wounds with. The swordsman had insisted he was fine, however, and Nami and Sanji had been forced to take his word for it.

"That's true, maybe," spoke Nami softly, in response to Zoro's reply. Her eyes never left the billowing sheets of rain that continued to dance outside. "But…" Her voice trailed off, and her lips pressed themselves into a thin line.

"But what, Nami-san?" prodded Sanji, who was sitting beside the orange-haired girl.

Smiling suddenly, Nami turned towards Sanji. "You know, I've decided to properly map this island when we leave."

"Oh?" asked Zoro, mildly raising an eyebrow.

Nami's face grew vaguely indignant, and she allowed her legs to stretch out in front of her, thin hands resting behind herself to keep her body propped up. "That's right. There's no excuse for an incorrect map." Holding up a finger, her eyes closed as she spoke. "I'll bet it was because of these storms that no one was able to record the island's proper position. I mean, it'd make sense that it'd be hard to map an island if you kept on getting blown off course."

Sanji had taken to mutely nodding through Nami's explanation, but he gave a stout agreement as soon as she had finished speaking. "Of course, Nami-san! That's why we reached the island earlier than expected, right?"

"Very good, Sanji-kun," answered Nami, and Zoro rolled his eyes when Sanji's face seemed to glow at the woman's compliment. Silence reigned their cave for several more moments, the rain continuing to droll on, until Nami spoke again, more subdued this time. "I wonder when Luffy will be back."

"Shouldn't be too long, right, Nami-san?" assured Sanji, smiling. "A game can't last more than a day."

"But I don't _want _to sit here for a day."

"Well, ah, half a day then!"

Nami sighed suddenly, her arms folding around herself to keep herself warm against the chilly air. "What I want is for it to be over _now._" She seemed slightly anxious, as she found interest in the hard ground she sat upon. "Maybe we should go look for him."

Leaning over, the blond chef shed his dark jacket and covered the navigator's exposed shoulders with it. She gave him a grateful smile. "You know, Nami-san, that might not be such a bad idea."

"No." The answer was sharp, swift and commanding. But it had been Zoro who replied. Sanji swiftly looked over at the swordsman, a mixture of surprise and irritation evident on his face.

"What do you mean 'no?'" The chef gestured to the orange-haired girl. "Nami-san's right. We can't just sit here and do nothing, especially with some invincible criminal on the loose. We need to fight back."

"Sanji-kun, I never said we needed to do _that,_" stated Nami firmly. Upon the prompt comment, Sanji seemed to grow somewhat sheepish, giving an apology to the navigator. "Luffy's more than capable of taking care of himself, but it doesn't make sitting here and letting him do all the work any easier."

Zoro shook his head, recalling that time, long ago, when Luffy had stayed still and watched during his fight with Cabaji the acrobat. The swordsman had been severely wounded then, and Nami had scolded the pirate captain for not helping his friend. Perhaps a seemingly indifferent attitude such as that would seem cruel to an outsider, but Zoro took it to be one the ultimate signs of confidence and respect that a captain could bestow upon one of his crew. He fully intended to extend the same courtesy to Luffy. "He'll be fine."

Sighing, Nami stood up and walked several yards towards the back of the dark cave. "Well, in that case, I'll just go to sleep." It was obvious that Zoro was going to stay no matter what she and Sanji did, and there was no telling if they would be able to reunite again if their group was separated.

Stopping in her tracks, however, she whirled around and drew a straight line into the ground with her foot. "This," she said coolly, "is a boundary that marks an invisible wall." Eyes narrowing, she uttered her next sentence slowly. "Anyone who even thinks about crossing it should consider himself dead."

"Hm."

"YES, Nami-san!"

And with that, the orange-haired girl allowed herself to fall onto the ground and roll onto her side. "Good night."

"Night."

"Good night, Nami-san!"

A strained silence followed.

"Oi," came Zoro's voice.

"What do _you _want?" Sanji seemed to have lost all of the delight he had possessed when he addressed Nami.

"You're a moron."

"What!? Why you little--!"

An exasperated, feminine sigh. "Will you two just _grow up!?_"

Sanji almost did a salute. "Yes, Nami-san!"

Zoro grimaced and turned his eyes towards the rain, his mind apparently drifting elsewhere.

And with that, an uneasy peace reigned the cave for what would hopefully be the remainder of the night.

* * *

In Usopp's opinion, however, he and Chopper were far from okay. The ship was acting like it was going to tip over with each gargantuan wave that crashed into her side -- a cruel joke that often threw the sniper against the rail of the ship. But he pressed onward, bravely making his way across the deck -- despite his shaking legs -- with full intention of checking on the steering doctor. His wet curls whipped against the back of his neck, as the wind raged with an awe-inspiring fury, but Usopp's fists only clenched tighter in an effort to alleviate the tight knot in his stomach. He had to take even the simplest movements one painstaking step at a time.

He was almost to the kitchen when a sharp movement caught the corner of his eye. Jerking himself towards it, the long-nosed man realized with horror that the protective cover that had once rested so comfortably over one of Nami's orange trees was beginning to slip away from its charge. With a pang to his chest, Usopp remembered how dear those trees were to their navigator, and he abruptly bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he could make it, but he knew that trees had the natural inclination to resist storms.

Then again, the storms from the past few days had been sudden, unusual and severe.

Although he was about to continue his journey to the kitchen, he stopped, sighed, cursed Nami and her silly trees and completely changed his course. It was difficult to maintain his balance, as another clap of thunder ripped through his ears. Even so, he continued to bite his lip with sincere hopes that he wasn't living his final moments.

It seemed like an eternity for him to reach the portion of the ship that held the trees. Stretching his arms forward, his fingers clutched onto the partially free cover. His large eyes beheld the seemingly mythical dance of the half-exposed tree. Most of the bright, healthy oranges that hung from its branches were nearly ready for picking. _All the more reason for me to do this, _he inwardly said, teeth gritting all the while.

Throwing his weight backward and against the wind, he fought with all of his strength to pull the cover back into place. Minutes crawled by, but it was well worth the wait when Usopp was finally able to ensure that the lush tree was sheltered. Although he was severely out of breath, he surveyed his handiwork with a proud smile. The storyteller added this latest incident to his collection of tales to tell -- with his own, special additions to it, of course.

The long-nosed man wasn't able to bask in his victory for long. As the ship gave another, mighty lurch, his feet were thrown out from under him and he went tumbling across the deck. Despite how hard he tried to get a grip on something, _anything_, he continued to slide towards the edge of the ship, legs tangled within his yellow poncho. Colliding against the rail with a heavy thud, he let out a yowl of pain that swiftly drowned within the raging roar of the storm.

Usopp faintly tasted blood in his mouth, perhaps from biting the inside of his cheek upon the impact of his fall. Even so, he reached a shaking hand towards the rail, clutching it with determination. As he faintly pulled his body to a wobbly stand, however, his side of the ship suddenly dipped closer to the ocean.

Wide, fearful eyes cast a frightened glance towards the raging waters that were eager to gobble him alive. Getting a tighter grip onto the rail, Usopp looked back towards the kitchen one last time before it happened. Something barreled into him from the side -- as if it were a giant's hand made from the very water of the sea -- and the teenager's slick palms slipped from their grasp on the rail.

That horrible giant known as the ocean ate him whole.


	14. The Rescue and the Challenge

He was _drowning!_

Strong arms flailed about himself, desperate to snag or catch at anything that wasn't water. But there was nothing of use to be felt. Only suffocation and the deafening, distorted roar of the ocean's rage were in his company. His body had become nothing but a mere rag doll in the face of such an awesome, frightening power.

Usopp knew he was going to die.

He saw himself being sucked under the ship's hull, never to be seen again until he was nothing but a soggy, unrecognizable corpse. Stories of dead sailors washing onto innocent beaches, their features having been eroded away by endless currents and pounding waves suddenly seemed all too real. _He _was going to be _one of them!_

No! his mind screamed. _A brave warrior of the sea can't die like this! _Pirates were supposed to _conquer_ the ocean, not be suffocated by it!

But _I'm already gone!_

He could feel death's very claws seize him by the shoulders, ripping him out of the churning water. The cold wind ate at his very soul, and he was going higher and higher--

_I'm having an out-of-body experience! _he inwardly wailed, teeth clenching.

But just before he was about to do some serious praying, he heard Chopper scream from the deck.

"Usopp! Usopp, _no!_"

The sharpshooter jerked to a halt in mid-air, and he waved to the reindeer, soggy legs dangling beneath him. "Chopper! Don't worry about me!" he cried. "It's too late for me, it's--"

"Let--let go of my _friend!_" cried Chopper, his voice quaking and unsure.

Blinking, Usopp paused long enough to look down at the raging ocean beneath himself, his soaked, black curls whipping against his face. He could still hear the doctor shouting in the back of his mind, as his brain made the precise calculations it needed to in order to come to the conclusion that he was, in fact, still alive.

Which meant that _something _had to be suspending him in the air.

Slowly and uneasily, he turned to look from one shoulder to the other. What he found made his stomach jolt. After all, it wasn't everyday one found a pair of claws hooking into their overall straps from either side.

Usopp swiftly looked upward, discovering with absolute horror that the most terrible creature loomed above him. Its wings beat against the gusty winds, the sheer fact that it was able to hover in such a storm a testimony to their strength. In fact, Usopp was quite sure it wasn't his imagination that the _Going Merry _was beginning to tip onto one side with every mighty flap.

And it was then that he began to fear for Chopper's life more than his own.

"D-don't provoke it!" shrieked Usopp, his voice relentlessly tearing from his throat. Even as the monster began to move away from the ship, he mustered enough courage to keep yelling. "Forget about me, Chopper! If the boat tips over, _you won't be able to swim!_"

But the reindeer acted as if he hadn't heard, biting his lip for a moment, tears beginning to spring from his eyes as the blue creature moved away. "_Let go of my friend,_ and _get out of here!_" Clutched in his furry arms was a white and red object that the sharpshooter couldn't quite make out.

"_Chopper!_ What did I tell you?!" Usopp was becoming more and more agitated by the moment, both by how he was moving further away from the ship and at his friend's persistence. "Are you crazy!? Don't make it mad!"

The doctor suddenly transformed into his larger form, hurling the item at the long-nosed man. "Catch it, Usopp!"

Instinctively, Usopp reached out and lashed his fingers around the edges of it, barely holding on. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder muscles, victims of being positioned at an odd angle. Chopper was already fortunate that the monster wasn't moving to attack _him_, although the curly-haired man firmly believed he shouldn't push his luck.

"What's _this _for?!" he cried, finally realizing that the doctor had thrown him a lifesaver. "I'm not _drowning!_"

"Just--just hang on! I'm not giving you up without a fight!"

Usopp almost choked at those words, and he did as he was told, clutching onto the lifesaver. Was Chopper going to try and pull him from the monster's grasp?

Just as the teenager had asked himself that question, Chopper appeared to draw in a deep breath before channeling all of his strength into a powerful haul with the rope.

Usopp barely had enough time to brace himself.

He had no idea he was going to go flying through the air on the first pull, but that was _exactly_ what he did. His dark curls stung against his face as he sailed through the unbearably cold wind. Neither the terrible pin-pricking of angry raindrops or the fierce storm winds were enough to keep him from hurling right into Chopper.

The doctor shrieked and fell back onto the slick deck as Usopp's weight collided into his own body. But the sharpshooter's quick reflexes enabled his arms to grab his furry friend incase they were to tumble into the raging ocean around them, and Chopper at least felt comfort in the fact that he wouldn't automatically sink to the bottom if the situation came to that.

Suddenly, however, Chopper turned to where the monster had been as if he had heard something. The blue creature had begun its journey to wherever it was that he had come from, sailing into the dark, billowing clouds. Although Chopper seemed extremely perplexed -- perhaps even a little troubled -- at what had just transpired, he quickly remembered their dire circumstances and began trying to get back onto his feet again.

By the time he and Usopp had regained their balance against the violently rocking deck, the monster was long gone, and the clouds and wind were beginning to dissipate. Even so, Usopp was still tense as his eyes frantically searched the air. "Where is it?" he muttered quickly, legs beginning to tremble some.

"I…I think he went home," replied Chopper after a moment, his body still in its human form in case his assumption was wrong.

Usopp gave Chopper an incredulous look, his dark eyebrows rising with astonishment. "How do you know?" he asked with wonder.

"I can talk to other animals, remember?" replied Chopper, an uneasy frown on his face, eyes still glued to the clouds. "Anyway, he said that--that--" The doctor didn't seem to be able to finish his sentence, his eyes suddenly finding his feet more interesting than the calmer sky.

"Said what?" prodded Usopp anxiously, eyes widening.

"That I was a good friend," he bashfully answered, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward manner. "What a stupid thing to say. He doesn't know what he's talking about!" But Usopp could tell that the comment had pleased Chopper, no matter how many times he tried to brush it off.

When the sniper looked at the sky again, he realized what was going on. "Chopper, look--the storm's going away--" Sure enough, more and more stars were breaking through the once endless, rolling clouds. Usopp was also glad to note that they weren't in much danger of being thrown overboard, either. But his comrade didn't respond. "Chopper?" The handyman looked over at him, blinking. "Is something wrong?"

The reindeer seemed hesitant to speak before he finally answered.

"He sounded so sad, Usopp…"

* * *

The sight was breath-taking.

As the dark, soothing clouds slowly began to disperse into harmless decorations of the still sky, a glimmer of dawn's first light began to peek over the edge of the horizon. It was these first few beams of the morning's infancy that cast a heavenly glitter against the edges of the clouds.

The picturesque spectacle was only complimented by the lush forest and white sand of the beach that seemed to support the horizon. A gentle wind grazed Monkey D. Luffy's hat, and the boy casually grabbed onto his most prized possession as the last of the rain softly disappeared. That didn't stop Zoro's damp shirt, which clung to his shoulders, from whipping lightly against the breeze, however.

He really had no idea how he had made his way onto the rough cliff he was now standing upon -- only that he had wandered aimlessly through the network of caves until he had reached an exit. The rubber pirate had decided that he liked the scenery before him very much, and he had paused to admire it.

After about three seconds of that, the young man decided it was time to move onto something a little more exciting.

Turning around, he located the gaping mouth of the cave he had come out of.

"Guess I'll find a better place to hide," he mused aloud, padding his way over to the entrance. He almost wished that Raffles would go ahead and find him already, but then that would mean that the monster would be killed and put on display, and then Luffy would have to go with Raffles and do whatever he wanted. Which probably didn't include becoming the pirate king.

The boy suddenly paused a moment, scratching his chin. If Raffles finding him meant that he, Luffy, lost the game…what was the rubber pirate supposed to do in order to defeat Raffles other than not being caught?

They had never gotten to _that _part of the rules!

Luffy's eyebrows furrowed together, and a soft frown tugged at his face. At this rate, Hide and Seek had the potential to last _forever. _As much as the young man loved the game, he really didn't want to spend an eternity playing it. After all, he had the legendary One Piece to find. This had to end - and soon. Luffy had places he wanted to see and meals he needed to eat.

At the thought of food, his stomach growled. "I want breakfast," he said to himself, realizing that this whole ordeal was beginning to lose its appeal. "Maybe I should eat some more berries…" Then again, those really hadn't been that filling -- not to mention he had mysteriously fallen asleep not long after ingesting them.

He was about to proceed towards the cave once more when he abruptly stopped again, turning around. In the distance, he saw a speck in the sky -- and it was slowly coming closer! Luffy's eyes lit up, and a frighteningly large smile seemed to split his face into two pieces. "It's Mister Monster!" he cried. "I could eat Mister Monster for breakfast!" He waved his arms in the air, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Come here, Mister Monster! I wanna eat you! Let's fight again!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth that he felt a sudden, heavy weight slam into his side. His rubbery body reeled and lost balance, damp dirt flying into the air when he collided against the cold stone of the mountain's cliff. The beloved straw hat rolled across the ground, having been carelessly knocked from his head. Heart pounding, Luffy squirmed beneath a captor he couldn't see, his instincts completely thrown off their equilibrium at being attacked by something that wasn't there.

It was then Luffy distinctly remembered the cool, smug voice of a certain botanist. _I can completely blend in with my surroundings…_

He thrust a hand into the air before him, clawing out to seize it, but his calloused fingers only groped at thin air. Although he would have cursed at what he felt was Sir William Raffles III, something cold and hard gripped his throat, closing off his wind pipe. Choking, he tried to shout, whisper, _anything--! _What was his opponent _doing?! This_ wasn't Hide and Seek!

Bringing a hand back to his throat, his fingers suddenly wrapped around what felt like a clammy, moist wrist. He pushed it away, and the pressure against his throat lessened considerably. The pirate wasted no time in taking advantage of that crucial split second and threw all of his weight forward. He felt his body collide against someone that wasn't supposed to be there by any means of logic, and he heard something slide against the ground. Bits of gravel flew out of the way as if some invisible power had forced them apart.

"Ooomf!" The cry wasn't Luffy's.

Gritting his teeth, the captain stood up and glared at where he thought the botanist had landed. "If you were _that _hungry, you should've just said something!" He reached up and angrily felt at his raw throat, wondering why it seemed like Raffles had been choking him with his bare hands. "We could have caught the monster and eaten him together!"

"What are you _talking about?_" came Raffles' irritated voice. It sounded from the general area that Luffy was glowering at, but no physical sign of the man could be seen.

Luffy scowled, his voice rising. "Why else would you quit playing our game and start _hunting_ me instead?! _I _wouldn't even do that, no matter _how _hungry I was!"

Silence was the only reply he received until a soft chuckle sounded through the chilly air. It escalated into a laugh until it reached a full cackle.  
  
Hand dropping down to his side, the dark-haired boy was slightly taken aback with confusion. "What's so funny?"

Raffles seemed to quiet down long enough for him to answer, his voice holding traces of mirth. "I'm not _hungry, _you wretched, inferior boy. Nor am I trying to _eat _your filthy, filthy flesh. I'd _never _lower myself to that level." He paused, and the pebbles before Luffy seemed to shuffle on their own. "But now that I've found you, I suppose I win the game. It's just a matter of me finishing the job."

"What?" Luffy stared, dumbfounded. "That isn't how Hide and Seek goes!" Zoro had never tried to strangle him when they played, not ever. "Trying to kill people is against the rules."

"Not in _my _version…" The sinister clarification was softly uttered, and Raffles was met with a stony silence on the rubber man's part.

Reaching down, Luffy's fingers grasped at his hat and picked it up from the ground. He regarded it for a moment, dark eyebrows knit together, mouth set into a thin frown that was usually so foreign to his boyish face. "Well." He suddenly seemed far more mature for his age, and he stood upright as he placed the hat onto his disheveled hair. "That changes things, Rabbles."

There was an awkward silence. "It's, ah, Raffles."

"I don't care what your name is," proclaimed Luffy. "If a fight is what you want, then you'll get a fight you won't forget."


	15. Showdowns and Freakshows

"Wha-a-a-t?" The hunter's voice sounded incredulous.

"That's right, you heard me!" Luffy stoutly answered, standing up straight, fist held before himself to signify the meaning of his words. "Let's fight!" He waited several moments for a response, but Raffles remained both silent and hidden. "Hey, I'm not gonna sit and wait for you all day," the pirate warned, reaching back with his fist. He promptly threw it where the hunter had been speaking from, his rubbery arm stretching with the force. But instead of colliding with someone's face, his fist merely impelled into the rocky ground. A cloud of dust and gravel took to the air upon the impact and Luffy frowned.

"Quit acting stupid and show yourself!" he yelled. His words eerily echoed in the morning air, leaving the quiet _show yourself…show yourself…_the only answer he received.

_Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat--_

Luffy's ear seemed to twitch like an animal's, and his head whirled towards the sound. He couldn't see anything, but it distinctly sounded like someone was running towards him.

The captain wasted no time in pulling back his fist again, but the sound abruptly stopped -- and Luffy promptly lost his bearings of where the man was. Suspecting that he had stopped running, the rubber man left his arm ready to attack and -- for a split moment -- his eyes glanced around himself.

And then it happened. In a heart-stopping moment, his body was sent flying back from the force of the invisible man. But Monkey D. Luffy was ready, and his arms immediately wrapped around his unseen foe to prevent his escape. They skidded across the ground together, and another one of Luffy's attributes -- lack of foresight -- sent them off the cliff's jagged edge and into the air.

Luffy tightly gripped onto his enemy as they sailed through the sky. Being made of rubber had its perks, and that included not sustaining much injury when falling long distances. Raffles, he knew, had no such ability, which could only mean that the pirate held the advantage.

But as soon as gravity began to work its magic and yank them towards the forest's trees, Luffy's hat swiftly sailed from his head. The captain watched, wide-eyed, as his most prized possession flew away from him. He cried out for it to come back, began reaching out for it, but a gust of wind carried it further out of his grasp. "My hat!"

Suddenly, a sharp, deep pain pierced his side, and Luffy was stunned to see his own blood spew into the air he was falling through.

Before he could even say anything, they collided against something -- but it wasn't ground because it was warm and leathery. Luffy let go of Raffles long enough for the man to escape his grasp, and the vaguely disoriented captain clutched at the great gash in his right side. Raffles' form appeared several meters away, crouched and carefully balanced.

It was then Luffy realized that they had landed on the flying, blue monster -- and they were soaring through the air!

The hunter smirked, a gleaming, bloody knife clutched in one hand. "Now I have you _both _in my grasp. It seems that my sharp sense of intellect _and_ fate are working in my favor."

"What are you talking about?" Taking in a deep breath, Luffy hoisted himself up into a crouch, dark locks of hair whipping against his ashen face. His hand remained over his wound for a brief moment before pulling away to form a crimson fist. "You haven't even won yet."

Raffles was about to retort when the monster gave a sudden jolt, as if trying to shake them off. Luffy stumbled and fell back, crying out as his hands groped at the monster's leathery, speckled skin. The pirate's fingers dug into the massive creature's flesh, keeping himself steady.

He didn't waste any time breathing a sigh of relief because when he looked up to see Raffles, his foe had disappeared.

* * *

Usopp gripped onto the railing of the ship, his worn fingers stiff and tired, lips pressed into a thin line. He silently gazed at the large island that loomed before them. The tall mountain seemed to watch him from over the trees as it stood defiantly in the distance. Little Chopper stood at his side, gazing at the new terrain with a partially opened mouth. They had just reached shore, but they already felt at a loss. 

"Well, Chopper, we made it," spoke Usopp at length, his arms authoritatively crossing over his chest. "We _made it_, and we did a _good job_ making it." The fact they were alive and that the ship was in one piece was a testimony to that.

The doctor nodded excitedly. After all, reaching land is what they had been working towards all along. But now that they were no longer in any immediate danger and had achieved their goal, Chopper paused long enough to contemplate their situation. "Usopp, how do we know Luffy or Zoro or _anyone_ is _here?_"

"Well, we, ah--" The long-nosed man looked down at the little reindeer, a bit uncertain. "U-um, actually, we--" Chopper's expectant expression, mixed with concern and anxiety, tugged at Usopp's heart. What was he supposed to say? That there was a possibility their friends were on a different island? That maybe they had been picked up by a ship and were across the world? Or maybe they weren't anywhere at all…

Usopp gulped upon his last train of thought.

And it was then that his dark eyebrows furrowed with determination. "We will know if we _look, _Chopper!" he cried, thrusting his finger towards the mountain. "We shall _comb _this fiendish island until we come back to this ship with our comrades at our sides!" He took in a deep breath, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Forward Chopper! _Forward!_"

This new burst of energy seemed to sweep Chopper into higher spirits, and the youngest member of the crew allowed his eyes to glisten as he watched his friend's passionate speech. "You can depend on me!" he exclaimed, nodding vigorously. "_Forward!_"

Usopp smiled at the doctor's willingness to help, and his eyes trailed up to the emblem that was proudly displayed on their sails. "One of us needs to go out and look while the other stays with the ship," he spoke, the smile slightly fading. He hadn't thought about how a search party with two pirates would work before now, and the concept was beginning to unnerve him.

"What?!" cried Chopper, taken aback by the sudden announcement. "Why can't we go together? It's safer that way!"

"We can't leave the _Going Merry _without anyone on board," replied Usopp. "One of us needs to stay behind to make sure everything here is okay. Can you imagine what would happen if something damaged or destroyed the ship while we were gone?" The very thought of it seemed to briefly shake Usopp out of his brave façade. "It'd be _impossible_ to help the others if that happened!"

Chopper's gaze fell down to the deck, a frown tugging at his lips. "You're right," he spoke at length.

"Thanks for volunteering, Chopper!" exclaimed Usopp, a cheery beam taking form on his face. "I'm sure you'll find the others in _no time!_" He was reaching to push him onto the shore when Chopper grew into his big form and shoved his hand away.

"_Usopp!_" he yelled, sounding much like when the man had sent him looking for an eegyak that Sanji claimed didn't exist. "That's not fair!"

"W-well, do you really expect _me _to go alone?" asked Usopp, his face suddenly pale. "I-I mean, the wilderness should be a _breeze_ for you, right? You being a deer--"

"_Reindeer_," Chopper abruptly corrected. "And I'm better suited for _snowy _areas anyway--"

"You've traveled through all sorts of hot places. Besides, you'd be able to _smell _the others if they were around here!" exclaimed Usopp, nodding to emphasize his statement. "_I_ can't do that! So _you're _better suited for this mission."

"B-but, _but--!" _Chopper desperately looked towards the dark, ominous forest that awaited him beyond the beach. He bit his lip, uncertain and fearful. But he recalled how he had told Usopp that he could be depended upon, and for a moment it seemed like he had no choice. "F-fine…"

Usopp paused and stared down at his companion, feeling a bit sheepish at his own behavior. Wasn't he the captain now? Wasn't it he who was in charge of this rescue mission? Wasn't it he who was responsible for the protection of his two-man crew? Usopp's cheeks vaguely flushed, and he took a deep breath. "No, Chopper," he spoke softly and seriously. "You stay here. _I'll _go."

"No," mumbled Chopper, still in his large form. "I'll go." He hesitated for a brief moment, his hands clasping shyly behind his back. "Y-you're right -- I'd be able to smell their scent if they were here. And I told you that you could count on me…"

"But I'm the captain!" Usopp anxiously replied, staring at his friend in disbelief. "So it's _my _duty to go!"

"And Ialready said I'd go!" cried Chopper, a frown tugging at his mouth.

"And I already said _I'd _go instead!" The sniper's eyebrows furrowed with frustration.

The reindeer's teeth clenched. "_I'm _going!"

Usopp thrust a finger at himself, his voice passionately rising. "No, _I_ am!"

"I am!"

"_I am!!_"

Their arguments continued to rise through the salty, ocean air, competing with one another in both might and strength. Chopper and Usopp cried out in vain, however, for they would soon discover that it's impossible to convince a loyal man to back down when his friends are in need.

* * *

"Quit hiding and let's fight!" Luffy shouted above the gusty wind, his voice strained and angry. "My hat blew away because of you and I want it back!" But he received no answer, and his fingers dug tighter into the monster's skin as the creature continued to spastically move its body in an attempt to shake him off. But the more the monster shook, the tighter Luffy held on, and the monster only tried harder to get him off. 

"Stop it, Mister Monster!" cried Luffy. "I'm just borrowing your back for a little while!" But the blue creature refused to yield until it finally began a quick descent towards the island forest. Teeth gritting, the rubber pirate swiftly reached out and grabbed onto the monster's slick mane. "At _least_ slow down!" he tried to reason with the animal, his fingers beginning to slide from their grasp. "I'm gonna slip--!"

True to his word, that's exactly what Luffy did. His body flung into the air, and he could barely register what had happened before he was plunging into the thick trees and vines that crowned forest. Branches violently snapped, and Luffy felt sharp, splintering pieces of wood pierce and scrape his skin.

And then it stopped.

When Luffy finally opened his eyes, the world was upside down and rapidly spinning. For a moment, he thought that something had gone terribly wrong in his fall to put his surroundings into such disarray. But then he discovered that he was merely hanging upside down, his foot caught in a clump of branches. He was just beginning to wonder how he was to get down when he a sudden snap sounded and his body dropped to the moist ground.

Heaving a tired sigh, Luffy lifted himself to his feet. His stomach gave a desperate growl, and the pirate recalled the last meal he had eaten over 24 hours ago. It hadn't even been that much, either -- just a couple of fish and half a crab. Luffy thought of Zoro, who had eaten even less, and he silently wondered how he was faring. After all, they were used to eating Sanji's lavish meals of steaks, fish, fruits, vegetables and soups all piled onto one table. He almost groaned with the memory and leaned against a tree, his legs feeling wobbly. "I'm so hungry," he mumbled. The fact he had a huge, gaping gash in his side wasn't making the situation any better.

He was thrown out of his thoughts when he heard several trees crashing to the ground in the distance. His eyes instinctively located the source of the racket and he curiously wandered to see what it was. Maybe it was Raffles' doing.

As he drew closer, he saw the blue, speckled body of the monster peeking over the trees. Luffy withdrew himself from the shade of the forest and into the clearing that the monster seemed to have just made. "What're you doing?" the pirate asked the creature.

Pausing long enough to regard the boy with a strange look, he held up a tree he had just plucked from the ground and hoisted it over his back, rubbing it back and forth. With each movement, a flurry of leaves fell onto the ground. Luffy watched with wide-eyed fascination until it dawned on him what was going on. "Oh! You're scratching your back?" He managed a laugh despite how hungry he was. "That's really smart!" The monster only glared at him in response. "What're you mad at me for? You were the one who threw me off." He grinned. "I ought to eat you just for that!"

The monster wasn't amused, but he didn't seem to be taking Luffy seriously either. He continued to scratch his back with the tree. "By the way," Luffy spoke, "have you seen that Rabbles guy?"

Another flurry of green leaves went up from the ground, as if caused by some invisible force. Blinking, Luffy turned to it as the monster finally set down his makeshift backscratcher. "What do you expect it to say, eh?!" The hunter's disgruntled voice sounded. "'Why, yes, that pesky little man was on my back but I used this tree here to get him off!'" A tense pause. "And it's _Raffles, _you deaf little monkey."

"I thought I already told you I don't care what your name is," Luffy replied, becoming disinterested in what the botanist had to say. "Let's just put an end to this fight so I can send you into the air and be done with it. I wanna go find my hat and get something to eat."

"Idiot," hissed Raffles. "I've already gouged at your side. You've been bleeding heavily ever since, and your pale face is only a testimony of what your body is going through. You'd be better off just giving in now."

"If you think you're the worst I've ever fought, you're giving yourself too much credit." Luffy popped his knuckles, his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm ready."

"Then catch me!" the man cackled. With those words, Luffy heard his laugh fade to his right and the pirate quickly followed the sound. He ran for several minutes, having his foe's occasional laugh or taunt as his only guide. Finally, they reached the clearing that was around the mountain's base. It was then that Luffy saw footprints swiftly materialize within the moist dirt.

He didn't realize it until it was too late that the trail had slipped into a dark cave.

Eager to end this twisted game, Luffy carelessly entered the mouth of the damp cave, followed by the echo of sandals slapping against the ground. "Where are you?" he called.

"Come and get me!" crowed Raffles from within the cave, but his voice echoed so loudly it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. The pirate swung his fist to where he thought he might have been, but it only collided against a boulder. Small pebbles broke from the impact, and a tense silence lingered for a few moments.

"Honestly, is _that_ the best you can do?" jeered Raffles. Luffy wasted no time in hurling his other fist at another possible place Raffles might have been, but to no avail.

Luffy gritted his teeth in irritation before shouting, "_Gomu gomu no Gattling!_" A barrage of punches seemed to pulverize whatever was near him, sending deep cracks into the cave walls and ceiling.

The rubber man was out of breath when he finally ceased his attack. His irritated gaze slowly trailed upward as he saw bits of dust and chunks of stone begin to fall. The cave violently shook. "Huh?--" Yelping, he leapt out of the way as a giant boulder dropped onto the ground, sending chunks of rock into the air. Luffy's eyebrows shot up to his dark bangs when he looked up once more and realized that the cave was beginning to collapse upon itself. "_Ah! _Oh no!" He turned to leave, but the heavy ceiling above him began to give way.

Desperately, he began to increase his speed to escape, knowing that he didn't need to be trapped in a place like this. But his foot caught when a fallen boulder pinned his leg to the ground, sending his body hurling towards the dirt.

* * *

A sudden tremor in the ground startled Roronoa Zoro from his light slumber, and the swordsman abruptly sat up from the cold rock he slept against. Tense, he listened to and observed his surroundings, his dark eyes moving to the clearing in front of him. Sanji shifted nearby, but the green-haired man ignored him. Instead, he made to stand, his calloused hands moving to the swords at his side. 

"Luffy…"

* * *

_Author's notes: A big thanks to Luz Nocturnal for beta-reading this installment. Also, a fantastic artist on DeviantArt by the name of "Kalei-chan" drew some Hide and Seek art for me. I'd post the link, but the url keeps on getting deleted. If anyone can help me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks._


	16. Intelligence and Instinct

_Hello, everyone! A special thanks goes out to Kalei and Emily for beta-ing. Thanks, guys!_

_By the way, check out some of Kalei's Hide and Seek fanart at: __http/kalei-chan,deviantart,com_

_NOTE that the commas should be replaced with periods when pasting the url into the browser. Anyway, I'm not dead yet! XD I should be wrapping up this tale pretty soon, if everything goes according to plan. Thanks!_

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* * *

**

Sanji snorted awake as soon as Zoro stood up and uttered their captain's name. "--I was having the _loveliest_ dream about Nami-san," the cook blissfully sighed as he twisted into a light stretch. His eyes narrowed when his sleepy gaze fell upon Zoro, however. "Until _you _interrupted it--" But the blonde man stopped when he saw Zoro's hand about to unsheathed his sword. "…what is it?"

"Luffy," muttered the swordsman. "He's not back yet, and the ground shook." The two events were obviously related, especially given Luffy's track record of wreaking havoc wherever he went. "Something's up." Zoro's dark eyes were unsettled.

"And you wanna go check it out now?" asked Sanji, incredulous. "I thought you were the one who was so insistent on staying _out _of this whole mess."

"I never promised anyone I'd stay out of anything," growled Zoro, his gaze shifting over to Sanji. "The situation's changed."

Sanji casually watched him for a brief moment, clearly unabashed by the poisonous glare his comrade was giving him. Glancing outside of the cave, he patted his pockets for a cigarette, but found that he had none on him. His irritation grew from there, and it drove him into scoffing at Zoro's last remark. "Just living in the moment, huh? 'S that what you're getting at?" He smashed an old cigarette butt from the other night into the ground, one of his hands slipping into his pocket. "C'mon, then, I don't wanna be wasting time. Let's see what Luffy's up to." He paused, scowling at the smirk he received from Zoro. "But only because it was initially Nami-san's idea until _you _so rudely--"

"Did I hear someone call my name?" The orange-haired navigator emerged from the shadows of the cave, yawning as she straightened her rumpled skirt. She abruptly stopped when she saw the two men standing as if they were about to depart.

"Ahh, Nami-san!" cried Sanji, whirling around. "Did you have a wonderful night's sleep? I hope these primitive conditions weren't _too_ barbaric for your beautiful self, but I took extra lengths to ensure that this big oaf here wouldn't snore too much--"

"Hey!" snarled Zoro, his teeth gritting. "I _don't _snore, you--"

"How do _you _know? You're _asleep _the whole time--"

"You're just confusingmysnoring for yours_--_"

"Is Luffy back?" asked Nami, her voice rising above the escalating squabble. All talking immediately stopped, and Sanji swiftly turned to the navigator again.

"Actually, Nami-san, we were considering the possibility of going out and looking for him." The cook beamed. "If it's all right with _you, _of course."

Zoro snorted. "I don't need _her _permission to do _anything._"

Sanji was about to retort when Nami's irritated voice cut him short. "It's about _time _you decided to go look for him!" The navigator brusquely marched past the men and entered the damp clearing. Pausing, Nami turned to her comrades. "Are you coming or not?"

The blonde chef happily sighed. "Leave it to Nami-san to get straight to the point."

"I would've left by myself if you hadn't interrupted me," grumbled Zoro as the two trailed after Nami.

"More like gotten yourself _lost--_"

Nami threw a withering glare at the arguing companions as the cave began to grow smaller in the distance. All talking died -- until a mighty roar echoed from just around the mountain. It reverberated along the walls, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to only shake harder. Trees behind them writhed and danced with the force, several leaves falling from their branches. The orange-haired girl's eyes darted around, alert for any signs of danger. "What _is _that!"

Zoro had already shot into the direction of the awful noise. "Luffy--" he hissed.

"Zoro!' cried Nami. "Wait up!" But the swordsman refused to yield, and his remaining comrades were forced to follow.

* * *

Giving another shudder, the cave seemed to be losing any strength it had once possessed. "You _meant _for this to happen, didn't you!" cried Luffy angrily as he desperately tried to pull his foot out from beneath the rough boulder. "Why don't you fight like a man?" But no matter how many times he yelled and screamed, he was still trapped and he was going to be buried within a cold tomb of dirt and rock forever. The pirate barely flinched as pieces of debris shattered into the ground beside him, sending chunks of stone rolling every which way.

A loud _crack! _sounded from above, and Luffy's dark gaze looked up just in time to see a massive boulder cut through the air and head directly towards _him. _Gritting his teeth, the pirate squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself.

But the falling load never came.

Taking in a shaking breath, the pirate cracked open an eye to see why he hadn't been buried yet. Suddenly, his face melted into an expression of wonder and amazement. "Mister…_Monster?_"

Sure enough, the blue bulk of a body had wormed its way into the crippled cave and was towering over Luffy, casting a dark shadow over the rubber man. The creature's muscles bulged as he pressed against the weakening cave ceiling in an attempt to hold it up, but he lowered his gaze long enough to stare into Luffy's face with a look that clearly said, _Go_.

The dark-haired boy wasted no time, his own arms tensing as he poured all of his strength into rolling the boulder off of his leg. With his full concentration and focus in control, he was able to move the rock within a few, anxious moments. Although his now freed limb was bleeding, Luffy's rubber abilities had prevented any bones from breaking. "Thanks, Mister Monster!" The pirate stood up, giving the creature a grateful smile before he darted through a small opening that was wedged between the cave wall and the creature's leathery flesh.

Sunlight poured over his face as soon as he had escaped, and Luffy inhaled the crisp, morning air. Slamming a fist into the palm of his other hand, the captain gave a wide grin as his dark eyes roamed about the terrain before him. "Now all I gotta do is find Rabbles and beat him up."

As if remembering something, however, Luffy turned around and beheld that the monster was still stuck inside the cave. "Hey, Mister Monster!" Luffy called. "I'm okay now, so you can come outside--!" But he was cut off by an awful, low rumble from within the mountain. The ground beneath the pirate's feet trembled as the sound reached thunderous proportions. Luffy gasped, his eyes bulging as a roar ripped at his ears. "Mister Monster!"

It was then it seemed nearly half of the mountain began to collapse in on itself, massive pieces of stone and soil sliding downward in deadly heaps. Luffy wasted no time in running over to the monster's protruding tail, beating on it with his own fists. "Mister Monster, get out of here!" he yelled, quickly wrapping his arms around the tail. He had scarcely begun pulling on it when the appendage suddenly cut through the air, hurling the worn, bleeding pirate across the clearing and into a clump of trees.

By the time Monkey D. Luffy had come to his senses and removed himself from a prison of sharp branches, a strangely somber air had blanketed his body. Stepping out into the grassy clearing, his dark eyes beheld the thick clouds of dust that swirled in the air. Half of the clearing had been swallowed by a sea of rock and dirt. Luffy's savior was nowhere in sight.

Mister Monster had been swallowed, too.

Fists clenching at his sides, Luffy gazed in silence at the bulky mountain of stone that had settled over the apparently doomed creature. He took a step towards the fresh tomb, then another until he abruptly sprinted over to where the monster had been buried.

"Mister Monster!" he yelled, shoving some stones out of the way. They haphazardly tumbled to the bottom of the large heap. "Mister Monster!" Sweat gleamed upon his worn face and the deep gash in his side relentlessly throbbed, but Luffy kept scrambling to push as many boulders out of the way as possible. "Mister _Monster!_" He received no answer for a moment.

"Luffy!"

Startled, the pirate stared hard at the rock beneath him. "I didn't know you could talk, Mister Monster. Are you okay?"

The voice called out again, more irritated this time. "_Luffy!_ What are you doing up there?" That unmistakable gruff tone was obviously a certain swordsman's, and the rubber pirate whirled his head around.

"Zoro!"

Sure enough, the shirtless, green-haired man stood at the base of the rocky heap, surveying it with raised eyebrows. Then, looking up at his bleeding captain, the first mate spoke. "What's going on? Need help?" Before Luffy could answer, however, Zoro was flanked by both Nami and Sanji.

"Luffy!" called the navigator. "What are you doing up there!" Her eyes had settled upon the once-white shirt that clung to Luffy's shoulders, frowning when she noticed it was almost saturated with blood.

"My friend is underneath these rocks!" replied Luffy, his tone holding a dark, almost angry edge to it. "He saved my life! I need you to dig him out for me while I go after Rabbles!"

"Friend?" inquired Sanji, a quizzical gaze settling onto the pile. Nami seemed just as perplexed, but Zoro disregarded his own wounds and immediately set straight to work. The orange-haired girl and the cook followed suit.

Promptly scampering down the heap of stone, Luffy called out a hurried, "Thanks!" before disappearing into the thick woods. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his teeth were clenched as he thought of how Mr. Monster was trapped.

"Where are you, Rabbles!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Come out and fight me, coward! Quit hiding!" He ran a little ways before checking bushes and shaking trees at random. "I'll find you!" he bellowed stoutly. "I'll find you if I have to tear every piece of this island apart!" It seemed as if his blood was beginning to boil and seethe with anger as he ripped at foliage, a flurry of leaves landing at his feet before he moved on to violently shake at another unfortunate tree.

"So much like an angry bull," came a smug voice from his right. Stopping suddenly, Luffy's gaze snapped toward the source of the sound, but saw nothing. "You'll foolishly get yourself killed if you don't compose yourself. After all, it was your recklessness that brought that cave tumbling onto you and that wretched Blue-tailed Fisher."

"Rabbles," spoke the pirate lowly, fist tightening at his side. "I'm gonna send you flying so high that you're gonna forget what land even looks like." An aura of eerie calm had enveloped the teenager, a hard frown creasing into his face.

"My _name _is--"

"Shut up!" barked Luffy, sending the man into a stunned silence. "I'm done screwing around with you!"

Senses heightened with a newly aroused anger, he firmly planted one foot into the damp dirt and hurled his other leg behind himself. "Gomu gomu no…" It violently stretched outward -- the boy shifted his weight, sending the limb sweeping across the area before him. "_Whip!_"

The sickening thud of his leg colliding against flesh sounded throughout the still forest. Not far from where his attack had met its mark, a tree violently shook. At its base, Sir William Raffles III flickered back into visibility, his arms tightly hugging his abdomen as his eyes held a dazed look about them.

Raffles groggily stared up at his foe, mouth hanging open when he realized that this _animal _had actually managed to strike him. The pirate walked toward him as he promptly threw his arm back. "Gomu gomu no _pistol!_" Luffy's fist suddenly slammed into Raffles' face, sending the hunter skidding across the ground for several yards before sliding to a halt. Cracked and broken, the monocle fell from his bruised face and landed onto the moist ground beside him.

Wiping his crushed, bleeding nose with his fist, the older man stared at the advancing boy, his vision blurry. With a frantically beating heart, he knew the game had changed into something frightening…something _primal._ Raffles had been forced into a role he was unaccustomed to playing. He was no longer the hunter -- he was the hunted. So, he did the first thing that came to mind.

He scrambled to his feet and ran.

Unfazed, Luffy promptly shot after him like a lion in pursuit of fleeing gazelle. Sweat clung to Raffles's brow as his pulse pounded in his aching head. He barely had time to cast a glance behind himself, his legs being torn at by the sharp brush that tried to tangle him. But Raffles knew he hadn't been caught yet -- he knew the tides could still turn in his favor. "You'll never win!" he shouted, his voice rising as an arrogant tone filled his voice once more. His body was beginning to blend into his surroundings, a mighty laughing trailing after him. "You may be a ruthless animal, but I'm still smarter than you!"

But Luffy was incensed, resilient and determined. Raffles was close ahead -- he could hear his boots slamming into the mud, the frantic panting of his hunted prey as he tried to flee the pirate's capture. The pungent stench of Raffles' bleeding wounds and salty skin almost grasped at his keen sense of smell, urging him to pursue the chase.

What he didn't see was the invisible botanist suddenly sliding to a halt, his feet firmly planting themselves into a tuft of grass. Within a split second, Raffles' hidden form slammed into Luffy. "Didn't expect me to turn on you, did you!" cried Raffles triumphantly as he and the pirate tumbled to the ground. A sharp blade emerged into full view as Luffy angrily threw his fist back to attack. But Raffles had apparently dodged the punch -- the captain's clenched hand met thin air -- and the knife plummeted into his shoulder, a searing agony tearing the muscles apart.

Snarling, Luffy abruptly reached out and gripped his bloodied fingers around the invisible wrist. Hurling his strength to one side, the pirate successfully threw Raffles off of him. A flurry of leaves took to the air, the knife dropped into the grass, and the pair immediately began wrestling. Although Luffy had never engaged in a fight with an enemy that wasn't there, he knew he'd find a way to prevail if he reverted to his basic, innate instincts.

As the pirate kicked the fallen blade away, his hands wasted no time in latching onto an unseen joint -- an elbow, no doubt -- and mercilessly cracked it. A nauseating _pop _distinctly sounded through the humid air, and a blood-curdling scream resonated through the forest floor and into Luffy's ears. His fingers suddenly loosened their hold -- shrubbery and foliage exploded into the captain's vision -- and when the leaves had settled down once more, Luffy discovered that Raffles had vanished from all of his senses.

An eerie quiet had enveloped the dimly lit forest, blanketing the wounded the pirate with an almost suffocating silence. Suddenly sitting upward, Luffy's dark eyes swiftly scanned his surroundings. His heavy panting diminished as he strained to listen to the dark stillness around him. Raffles was nearby, perhaps even right next to him, and the pirate knew he'd find him -- it was just a matter of exerting enough control not to go tearing apart the bushes and the trees in an effort to discover him. Judging from his previous experiences with the hunter, Luffy knew that creating such chaos would only provide Raffles the cover he needed to slip away unnoticed.

With bated breath, Luffy rested within that same spot without as much as twitching a muscle. His watchful gaze carefully roamed the motionless terrain around him, like a vigilant tiger that was waiting for its meal to come out into the open. The humid air filled the pirate's nostrils, and an overwhelming hush continued to prevail as Luffy willed himself to become part of the natural environment.

It was difficult to tell how many minutes had crawled by when the hairs of Luffy's skin seemed to stand on end. There had been a shift somewhere close by, and his muscles lightly tensed in anticipation. And then it happened -- _snap! -- _a twig cracked in two, and the captain lunged from his position upon the ground and toward the noise.

A small tornado of leaves flew up from the grass once more -- Raffles had given away his position and was noisily barreling through the foliage in an attempt to escape. The chase was on again, and Luffy was determined to put this sick game behind him. From the corner of his eye, he could tell they were headed toward the spring he and Zoro had located earlier in their adventure.

Raffles' laughter suddenly echoed from in front of Luffy, and the dark-haired boy clenched his fist in an attempt to throw a punch at his enemy. But the hunter took him by surprise when he became visible once more, apparently leaping forward through the air. "Fool!" he cackled tauntingly. "I win!"

"Gomu gomu no _pistol!_" Luffy's fist connected with Raffles' face, sending the man into a thicket of trees. Precisely at that moment, the pirate's right foot fell upon a full tuft of grass. He heard a splitting snap as an agonizing pain ravaged his ankle, hurling his body into the moist dirt. Back arching, he screamed as his bloodied hands furiously clutched at his leg, his eyes cracking open just enough for him to realize he'd been caught in the claws of a jagged animal snare. Bile rose in the back of his throat as the world spun around him.

Raffles, meanwhile, had emerged from the shadows, beaten and bruised but still triumphant. "You thought you were going to beat me by strength alone," jeered the older man as he calmly approached the writing captain. "But intelligence will _always _prove itself superior to instinct. Your animalistic tactics are _no match_ for my foresight and wit." Luffy paused long enough to give Raffles a burning, defiant stare. "It was the same for that green-haired fool when I crushed his fingers and sent him plummeting down the crevice, it was the same for that wretched Fisher when he was buried beneath the mountain, and it's the same for poor, pathetic you."

As the man spoke with such smug confidence and blatant disregard for Luffy's friends, the rubber pirate sucked in a sharp, almost quivering breath. Determination and a cold sense of resolve washed over his pale, ashen face. Slowly and painfully, Luffy pushed himself up onto one knee, the other leg still ensnared within the trap.

Despite the momentary confusion that clouded Raffles' eyes, the hunter smirked down at his catch. "That's right. All animals must ultimately bow in submission to the greater creatures of this world."

Luffy was quiet for several moments as his glazed look almost bore a hole into Raffles' soul. "I'm bowing," he said quietly at length, "but not in submission." Suddenly, he stretched his arms behind himself. _"Gomu gomu no…" _The pirate flung his limbs back, teeth gritting with effort as he mustered as much strength as his injured body would permit.

"What? You're nothing but a foul beast! You're _nothing _in comparison to me!" Raffles spat as he took a hesitant step backward. But Luffy was not dissuaded, and within a split second he threw his fists forward as if he hadn't heard the hunter at all.

"_Bazooka!_"

The arrogant hunter had barely closed his mouth when the pirate's fists smashed into his body. The man let out a horrible shriek as his form abruptly launched into the air. Luffy's attack continued gaining momentum, and his flying punch carried him past the trees. With a garbled curse, Raffles sailed into the sky, becoming a mere speck…

…and then nothing.

His arms abruptly snapped back into place and jostled his body backward. Staring off into the trailing clouds, Luffy's eyebrows were furrowed, a hard frown etched into his face. When he realized Raffles was gone for good, however, the pirate's pallid features lip up with a wide grin. "Looks like I won," the captain proclaimed, giving a delighted laugh despite the state of his trapped leg.

But his vision was still blurred and dizzy, he was deeply wounded in at least three places, and he had slept little and eaten nothing within the past 24 hours. His ragged form exhaled the vibrant energy that had vanquished Raffles, not even sparing a thought to the trap that held him. As soon as his heavy eyelids slid shut, Luffy unceremoniously fell onto his face and drifted into an exhausted silence.

* * *

_To be continued..._


End file.
